Bodyguards
by MizuCrystal
Summary: COMPLETED! Kagome is being threatened by some bullies from her school and the authorities can't do anything about it. Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango travel 500 years into the future to protect her. InuKag, SanMir, non AU.
1. The Problem

A/N: It's just another high school fic. But I had a lot of fun writing it.  
  
Disclaimer: Haha, if I owned Inuyasha, I wouldn't be so poor.  
  
"words words" - Talking  
  
'words words' - thinking  
  
Chapter One: The Problem  
  
"Tell Inu-oniichan about it," Souta yelled into his sister's ear loudly, "he'll teach them a lesson for sure!"  
  
"Ow, mama, lightly please." Kagome flinched as her mother apologized and continued to apply foundation to her damaged face. "Why do you think I'm putting on such thick makeup, Souta? Inuyasha will go insane if he finds out; he'll never let me go to school ever again!"  
  
"Aw, and I really wanted to see Inu-oniichan beat them up." Souta fell back into the couch with a groan. He crossed his arms, pouting. Kagome couldn't help but think how much he looked like Inuyasha.  
  
"Well, the problem is, I'm not even sure who 'they' are. I just know that they were from my school." Kagome kept looking at her reflection in the small hand mirror. She looked pretty bad before, with the cut below her left ear and the cut on her lip, but makeup fixes everything.  
  
"Tell me what happened again, Kagome, and maybe I can go down to your school and complain." Mrs. Higurashi looked at her daughter's painful expression, and her heart ached.  
  
"Well, like I said last night, I was coming back from after school tutoring, it was dark, and I was alone......"  
  
-----Flashback----  
  
'Jeez, why did Mori sensei insist on my staying after school? So what if I can't keep up with the rest of the class? I passed the entrance exam and that's good enough!' Kagome thought to herself as she walked down the dark and dreary alley. It was late out. It's the middle of spring now, but the sun still goes down pretty early and the wind was chilly at night. Kagome wrapped her sweater around her slim body. 'Great idea on taking this shortcut, I could get murdered and my body won't be found for days.'  
  
Since Kagome wanted to get home as soon as possible, she decided to take a shortcut through a small alleyway. But now seeing how dark and empty the alley was, Kagome instantly regretted making that decision.  
  
'Okay, just walk fast, nothing will happen to you if you'd just walk fast.' Kagome murmured to herself over and over, and did not notice as she bumped into someone.  
  
"Oh, sumimasen, gomenasai!" Kagome raised her head to apologize some more, but her eyes met the gaze of a male who was at least half a foot taller than herself. But the darkness of the alley prevented her from seeing nothing more than his eyes. 'You'd think they could put up some streetlamps here.'  
  
"Higurashi Kagome?" The male voice asked. He sounded young, probably not much older than Kagome. But the tone of his voice was threatening, as though he was waiting for her and expected her to be there.  
  
Kagome was too scared to reply, but the male voice didn't wait for a reply. Instead, he turned to ask someone that apparently was close to him. Although in the darkness, Kagome couldn't see who. "Is this the girl you were looking for?"  
  
Suddenly a flashlight was on Kagome. Her reflexes told her to shut her eyes, but she fought the urge and kept them open, hoping to catch whomever was in front of her.  
  
Then a female voice answered. "Yup, oniisan, that's the bitch who stole Hojo-kun."  
  
'Nani? They know me and Hojo-kun?' Kagome tried to block the light with her hands. "What do you mean, 'stole'? Who the hell are you people?"  
  
But two strong arms came instead of an answer. One arm bound her arms to her body so she couldn't move, and the other arm closed around her mouth. Kagome struggled, but the muscular man behind her didn't move at all. The hand he laid on her arm was beginning to hurt her, nails were digging in, almost drawing blood.  
  
There was no sound at all for the next couple of minutes. The flashlight was still on her face. And without her hands to block the blinding light, Kagome couldn't help but shut her eyes tight. There was a long silence, and then a chill came.  
  
The first voice of the male sounded. "This is your first and last warning, bitch: stay away from my sister's boyfriend."  
  
Kagome hear a swish, and then before she knew it, blood was trickling down the side of her left cheek. 'They're cutting me!' Just barely, Kagome opened her eyes to a crack and saw a shining knife right in front of her face.  
  
Now panicking, Kagome started to struggle more against the body that was holding her. Finally she resolved to animalistic strategy - biting. With all the strength in her jaws, Kagome bit down on the hand that was closed around her mouth.  
  
The muscular man behind withdrew on cue, and Kagome turned, getting ready to run. But she couldn't, because someone had made a grab on her raven hair. Kagome squealed in pain, one hand automatically went to her scalp, hoping that she won't become bald.  
  
"Stay, bitch, we're not done with you." The female voice commanded this time.  
  
Kagome was pulled back by force and her face was turned to face the flashlight once again. And as suddenly as before, she was cut again. This time, it was just above her lips.  
  
After hearing Kagome's groans of pain, the person finally let go of her hair and threw her down on the ground.  
  
"Remember what I said, bitch. We're watching you." The male voice came again. The next sound was several steps going away, further and further. Finally, Kagome was sure that it was safe to move. Without another second of hesitation, she grabbed her briefcase and ran home as fast as her shaking legs can carry her.  
  
-----End flashback-----  
  
"So they knew exactly who you were?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as she handed her daughter her second cup of herbal tea.  
  
Kagome nodded and blew on her tea.  
  
"They said something about you stealing that girl's boyfriend, Hojo-kun." Kagome's mother handed her son his bentoo and was rushing him out the door at the same time. "So maybe it's Hojo-kun's girlfriend and her brother."  
  
Kagome shook her head this time. "But Hojo-kun doesn't have a girl friend. I'm sure of that. And I didn't 'steal' him! I was never with him in the first place!"  
  
"Well, then this is very odd. Do you have any clue as who it could be?"  
  
Kagome paused. 'Yea, who else but that rich, spoiled brat who thinks she owns every guy in the whole damn school!' That's what went through her head, but her reply to her mother was: "No mama, not a clue." Kagome looked at the red marks on her arm and grimaced. She slipped on a long sleeve sweater so she could hide the marks from her companions from the past.  
  
Kagome's mother sighed. "Well, you have to go back today. I'll call your school and tell them what happened last night, maybe they could do something about it."  
  
'Yea, like that's gonna happen.' Kagome rolled her eyes when her mother wasn't looking. 'She and her brother practically run the damn school. Even the principal is scared of them!'  
  
"Un, mama, I gotta go." Kagome announced as she picked up her 40-pound yellow supply bag. "Thanks for helping me conceal the cuts."  
  
Kagome's mother smiled slightly. "Well, I'm your mother. If I don't do it, who will?"  
  
Kagome gave her mother a nod and ran for the well after checking her face one last time in the mirror.  
  
The 16-year-old girl threw down her supply bag and jumped in right afterwards. The same familiar light surrounded her and disappeared shortly.  
  
"Inuya......" Kagome didn't even have to finish as she saw the Inu hanyou's head right above the opening of the time well. She waved and shot a cheery "Ohyoo!" at the handsome hanyou.  
  
The hanyou growled instead of waving back. "What took you so long!?!"  
  
Kagome gave him a deadpan look and shook her head. 'Maybe I should show him my cuts just to get him to worry.' The thought was gone as suddenly as it came. Having Inuyasha know that someone hurt her would be bad, very bad. So Kagome put on her "smile-as-though-nothing-happened" look and started climbing up the ladder they finally installed into the well.  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he helped lift her bag out of the well. "Had a nice time studying?" He asked sarcastically.  
  
Kagome hugged him, which brought a surprised look on his face. After not seeing him for 5 whole days, and especially after the ordeal from last night, nothing the rude hanyou says will upset her. She just misses his warmth too much.  
  
Now that they've collected more than half of the Shikon no Tama, things are getting kind of slow. Naraku hasn't showed up for the past three months, and no news of other shards were to be heard. Kagome decided a few weeks ago that she'd put more time into studying for her high school entrance exam.  
  
After two weeks of day after day cramming, Kagome was able to get into a fairly good school, along with Hojo and all her friends. High school has started for nearly a month now. Even though she was accepted easily, Kagome was still behind in a lot of topics, thus the after school tutoring from Mori sensei the day before.  
  
After much argument with Inuyasha, and some hard persuasion from Kagome's mother, Kagome was able to attend school all 5 days in a week, and bring her weekend homework to the Sengoku Jidai and spend Saturday and Sunday there. Sometimes Inuyasha would visit her during the weekdays, but since he always distracted her when he's there, his visits were getting rarer.  
  
"Kagome!" Shippo's voice rang through the surrounding woods as the overly- excited Kitsune jumped down with a tree branch nearby. Everyone knew that Kagome would come back every 5 days unless there's an accident, and so they usually always waited for her by the well on the morning of the sixth day.  
  
"Shippo-chan, have you been good?" Kagome greeted the kitsune as they hugged each other.  
  
Shippo nodded expectedly, while Inuyasha snorted next to the girl and rolled his eyes. Kagome ignored Inuyasha and handed Shippo a lollipop.  
  
"Where are Sango-chan and Miroku?" Kagome asked as she dug out a bag of potato chips from her bag, which Inuyasha took with some delight and started chomping on enthusiastically.  
  
"They're helping a nearby village with some youkai extermination." Shippo managed to say while still sucking on his lollipop. He jumped onto Kagome's shoulder and the three started to head toward Kaede's hut.  
  
"Why didn't you go help them, Inuyasha?"  
  
Slightly shifting the weight of the bag on his right shoulder, Inuyasha scoffed in his usual arrogant manner. "Keh, the job is too insignificant for someone like me."  
  
"He just wanted to be here when you came back." Shippo cut in absentmindedly, which got him a punch on the head.  
  
Even though Inuyasha's attitude was rude and arrogant as usual, Kagome didn't mind at all. Instead, she just smiled and nodded along.  
  
"Oi, wench, why do you look so pale?" Inuyasha suddenly stopped walking as he noticed the layers of powder on Kagome's face. Only problem was that he didn't know it was powder.  
  
Shippo began to look at Kagome more carefully as well. Their intense stares were making Kagome stutter.  
  
"Don't be silly, Inuyasha, it's just some powder." Kagome scoffed as if she didn't care. After all, Inuyasha wouldn't know what powder is, and he wouldn't ask.  
  
"That's not enough though." Inuyasha's reply was certainly a shocker. Kagome turned to look at him in surprise. The hanyou went on. "You need a lot more if you want to look like a noble woman. Also dye your teeth black, and get rid of your eyebrows and paint news ones higher up on your forehead."  
  
Kagome sputtered. "What?!" The girl from the future almost burst out laughing. 'That's right, my history books said that that's how ancient Japanese noble women decorated themselves. Jeez, Inuyasha thought I was trying to act noble?'  
  
"No, Inuyasha, I'm not trying to be like those noble women. And trust me, I have no intention of dying my teeth black." If was either Kagome's imagination, or a trick of the sunlight, but she could've swore that Inuyasha looked very relieved at that statement. "I just got a little tan, and I don't like looking dark." Kagome congratulated herself on coming up with such a perfect lie on such a short notice. 'I'm getting good at this lying thing. Is that good or bad?'  
  
'What's a tan?' Inuyasha thought to himself. 'Better not ask. She'll think I'm stupid or something.' And so he shrugged it off, and the three continued to walk back to the village.  
  
"Kagome-chan!" Kagome looked around in anticipation as she heard Sango calling her name from afar. "Up here!"  
  
All three lifted their heads and saw Miroku sitting behind Sango on a floating Kirara. She waved and Kirara came back down to earth gracefully.  
  
Miroku and Sango jumped off right away and greeted Kagome with enthusiasm. Kirara transformed back to kitty form and came to join the gang as well.  
  
"Long time no see, Kagome-chan!" Sango said happily as she hugged Kagome. Something glinted in the sun, and Kagome noticed it was a shiny new bracelet on Sango's wrist. But before she can ask where Sango got it from, Miroku cut in.  
  
"Welcome back, Kagome-sama. Did you learn a lot of new things from your school?" Miroku patted Kagome politely on the shoulder with his kazaana hand. Kagome was waiting for his groping, but it never came.  
  
"Umm. yea, some advanced algebra and history, the usual." Kagome managed to stutter out. 'And lying.'  
  
"C'mon, stop standing around." Inuyasha was becoming annoyed. 'Do we have to do this every time she comes back? Why can't she just stay for good? Okay, baka, you did not just think that.'  
  
Kagome grabbed Sango's arm, with Shippo standing on her shoulder, the girls walked ahead of the boys.  
  
Kagome whispered into Sango's ears. "Did something happen to Miroku while I wasn't here?"  
  
Kagome noticed the faint blush from Sango. The youkai exterminator answered after clearing her throat, "no, why do you ask, Kagome-chan?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, nothing, it's silly." Kagome shook her head. "It's just that I was surprised when he didn't try to grope me after not seeing me for 5 days. It's not like him. I mean, it's not that I wanted him to." Kagome added the last part for clarity's sake. "Oh, Sango-chan, where did you get that pretty bracelet from?"  
  
Kagome noticed that Sango's cheeks got redder. "Oh, it's an interesting story, Kagome-chan. I'll tell you another time."  
  
Kagome was going to press deeper. But the gang was already at Kaede's front door. The old miko, however, was out inspecting the farm lands. So the group invited themselves in. Once inside, Kagome took out a plastic bag from her yellow supply bag and dumped some shiny objects from within.  
  
"Look at what I got for you guys." Kagome said with a very happy expression. The threat and horror from the night before simply disappeared from her mind now that she's with her old friends again. "I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier."  
  
"What are these things?" Inuyasha picked up one of them and sniffed it. "It doesn't smell very safe to eat."  
  
Kagome grabbed it from his clawed hands and rolled her eyes at him. "They are not for eating, Inuyasha. They are watches; they're used to tell time, like an hourglass."  
  
"What's an hourglass?" Miroku repeated the word with some difficulty. Kagome slapped herself on the forehead after remembering that the hourglass was a Western invention.  
  
"Well, how do you guys tell time without proper instruments?"  
  
"We have the sun, the moon cycles." Sango answered while examining a red watch with great interest. "And youkai have internal instincts that tell them when to hunt, when to sleep, mate, and do other stuff."  
  
Kagome shook her head vigorously. "That won't do at all." She took up a black watch and pointed at the glass protective frame. "See these three stick thingies? The long, red one tells what second it is. The long, black one tells what minute it is. And the short, black one tells you what hour it is."  
  
"Kagome-sama, what's."  
  
(A/N: The entire next section is Kagome explaining the modern calendar and the functions and ways to tell time using a watch. We all know how to do that, so skip it if you don't feel like reading it.)  
  
"I was just going to explain that." Kagome held up the free hand and stopped Miroku before he even finished the question. "Scientific studies in my time calculated exactly how many days there are in a year, and that's 365 and 1/4. In the usual years in our calendar, there's just 365 days. But once every four years, we add a day, and it's called a leap year, with 366 days. The extra day is added to February, a month.  
  
"There are 12 months in a year. February is the second month. Each month has a number of different days. Usually there are either 30 or 31 days. But February only has 28, 29 in leap years.  
  
"Then the months are divided up into weeks. Every week has 7 days. So normally, every month would have 4 weeks and some extra days. I go to school from the first to the fifth day of each week. And on the sixth and seventh I come here.  
  
"We all know what a day is. It's a combination of day and night. But in our calendar, there are 24 hours in a day. And on a clock or a watch, the jump from one numeral to the next by the short, black stick represents the passing of exactly one hour. See how there are 12 numerals? When the hour hand goes around the circle twice, it means that a day has fully passed.  
  
"But hours are also divided into minutes. There are 60 minutes in an hour. Minutes are represented by the long, black stick. See how the distance from one numeral to the next is divided into 5 sections? Well, the jump from one of these little sections to the next by the minute hand means that a minute has passed. 5 times 12 equals to 60.  
  
"Minutes are also divided into seconds. There are 60 seconds in one minute. And every time the long, red stick passes from one small section to the other, a second goes by. The second hand moves the fastest. The minute hand moves every time the second hand goes a full cycle around the circle. And the hour hand moves once the minute hand goes around in a complete cycle."  
  
(A/N: Okay, done explaining.)  
  
Everyone looked at Kagome with wide open eyes. No one said a thing for a long while.  
  
Kagome blinked. "What? Why are you all looking at me like that?"  
  
Miroku was the first one to speak up. Although he had to clear his throat several times since it seemed like he had lost his voice. "Well, Kagome- sama, your time has a very complicated and quite fascinating system to tell time. And very precise, might I dare add."  
  
"But I think I understand what you mean. So years are the largest scale, and it gets divided down smaller and smaller until it reaches seconds." Sango added while stroking Kirara's tail fur. Kagome nodded, happy that her explanation was good enough for her to understand. But she hasn't predicted what would come next.  
  
Inuyasha picked up another watch and studied it intently. No one made a sound as he gazed his deep amber eyes on the face and hands of the modern equipment. It didn't take long for the hanyou to find his voice.  
  
"So right now, it's 9 hours, 25 minutes, and 10 seconds?" He asked before correcting himself. "No wait, 11 seconds. No wait, 12. No wait...... dammit, does this thing ever stop!!!"  
  
Kagome made a grab for the watch before Inuyasha had a chance to destroy it. "Seconds go by really quickly; time is passing by as we speak." Kagome took a peek at the watch and found that Inuyasha was absolutely correct. 'Wow, he learns fast.'  
  
"But Kagome, how do you know how many days are in a year, and how to divide the days into months and such?" Shippo ignored the exchange between Inuyasha and Kagome. His curiosity was definitely intrigued. And from the look on Miroku and Sango's faces, so were they.  
  
"Oh, the months are depended, but no solely, on the moon cycles. The Chinese calendar is really strict on the moon cycles, but we don't use that one. And we know there are 364 and ¼ days in a year by studying how long it would take for the earth to revolve around the sun."  
  
Everyone froze at this statement. They all cried out in unison: "What?!"  
  
"Oh, I forgot, you guys are still using the geocentric theory." Kagome mumbled, mainly to herself. But this only brought more questions. 'Kami- sama, this is going to take a long while.'  
  
And so, for the rest of the morning, and much of the afternoon, Kagome explained to her friends how the earth was a sphere, how it revolves around the sun while spinning on its own axis, and many other theories on the solar system. And for the entire day, the rest of the gang sat still in place with shocked expressions, listening to Kagome telling all the knowledge about earth science and astronomy that she knows. (A/N: aren't you all happy that I didn't type everything out. I swear that this is going somewhere.)  
  
"Humans did what?!" Everyone yelled simultaneously. They weren't sitting so still anymore after hearing Kagome say that Americans have successfully landed on the moon.  
  
Kagome nodded, half amused at their surprised expressions, half feared that her friends wouldn't believe her.  
  
But they trusted her. They all trusted her. No matter how impossible everything seemed to be, they knew that Kagome wouldn't lie to them about something so serious. After a long discussion over their new found knowledge, they came up with one solution......  
  
"Tell us more!" With the exception of Inuyasha, Kirara, and Kaede (she returned to make them lunch), everyone else wanted to know more about Kagome's time. Kaede said that it wasn't right to know more about what she's suppose to understand. Kirara simply wasn't interested. And Inuyasha, well, he wanted to know more, probably more than everyone else, but there was no way in the world he'd reveal it.  
  
"Really? You guys really want to learn more about my time?" Kagome seemed both overly joyous and surprised. But Miroku, Sango, and Shippo's furious nods of the head convinced her that they were for real. "This is great! I still have my books from elementary school and junior high. I can bring them over here and you guys can read through them if you'd like."  
  
"Even me, Kagome?" Shippo asked with his best puppy eyes.  
  
Kagome patted his head smiling. "Do you even know how to read, Shippo- chan?"  
  
"No, but I can learn!"  
  
Kagome gave Shippo a big hug for looking so cute and so enthusiastic about education. 'I wish Souta was more like Shippo.'  
  
And so it was decided. That same night Kagome went back and dug out all her old text books from the first grade in elementary to the third grade in junior high. Of course, if order to carry everything, she had to bring her personal luggage man: Inuyasha. The hanyou complained, of course, but at least he gave in before Kagome had to sit him.  
  
And for the whole weekend, Kagome stayed in the Sengoku Jidai, explaining all the subjects she had to take and how the school system worked. She also helped Shippo learn to read some basic hiragana and kanji characters. At the same time, since no news of new shards was to be heard, everyone relaxed into books and new knowledge. There was the occasionally gropes from Miroku, whining from Shippo, and of course, complains from Inuyasha. But aside from those, the weekend went exceptionally well.  
  
Inuyasha didn't let anyone see, of course, but he was always listening in on Kagome's lessons to Shippo. And since Sango had a habit of reading aloud, Inuyasha was learning the same time she was. And the hanyou always sat behind Miroku, so he was able to look over the monk's shoulder. While everyone focused on one subject at once, he focused on three. In the end, Inuyasha knew more than all three of them combined.  
  
The same thing went on day after day, even after Kagome had to return to her time for another week of school. Every once in a while, Shippo would look at the Power Ranger wrist watch Kagome got for him and count down how many hours, minutes, and seconds it'll take for Kagome to return to them. Even though nobody saw him, Inuyasha was doing the same thing (but not with a Power Ranger watch, he got a cool blue one).  
  
*****It's Friday Night Again*****  
  
Kagome groaned while walking home in the dark of the night. 'Why did Mori sensei make me stay after school again? If I get jumped again I'll kill Mori sensei first.' She touched the wound that was healing on her cheek, still covered by a thick layer of powder. 'I'm taking the wider road this time. Is it cold out here or is it just me?'  
  
There were only a few people out. Many streetlamps were destroyed by vandalism over the last few days, and the city has yet to fix them. Kagome shivered, thinking that maybe the wide road wasn't very safe either. And she was absolutely right.  
  
Kagome heard no sound of footsteps. But a hand clasped over her mouth and dragged her into an even darker alleyway. She tried to scream, but it came out in mumbles. Finally the hand threw her onto the ground, a flashlight was on her, and a glint of light also warned her that there was a knife right below her chin. Kagome didn't dare to move.  
  
"Good, bitch, you scream and I'll slit your throat." The same male voice from a week ago warned her. Though his face was hidden in the darkness, Kagome knew exactly who he was and why he was there.  
  
The female voice came next, sounding as nasal as ever. "Don't bother with her anymore, oniisan, just cut her."  
  
"What do you want with me? I've been avoiding Hojo-kun for as much as possible. It's not my fault that he wants to talk to me." Kagome gulped. She's faced worse situations. But she didn't like the threat of getting her throat cut open while she's unarmed, and that Inuyasha isn't around.  
  
"That's because you seduced him, bitch!" The girl spat at Kagome. "We need to give her a bigger warning this time, oniisan, cut off her finger or something."  
  
Kagome was just about to stand up in protest, but the male voice warned her. "Move and you die." A signal was given, and the man who had his hand over Kagome's mouth now grabbed her left arm and rolled up her sleeve. Kagome shivered at his touch, but still didn't dare to scream.  
  
With the inside of her arm facing upward, the knife began floating above her arm. It came down just below her wrist, near the very visible vein on her slender arm. With no warning, the knife came down and cut deep into her flesh. Kagome gritted her teeth in pain, but still didn't make a sound.  
  
"Good girl." The male voice was mocking her. "Now, you realize that if I just aimed a little to the side, I would've slit your wrist, and we could just leave you here to let your blood run dry."  
  
The man behind her let go of her arm. Kagome grabbed it with her right hand. She sobbed silently as beads of tears rolled down her cheeks.  
  
"This is your last warning, bitch. Go near my imooto's boyfriend anymore, and the next time, I won't miss." The flashlight went off. Footsteps were going away. The male voice left a final message to Kagome. "And don't even try to hide from us. We'll find you no matter where you are."  
  
After making sure that they were gone, Kagome ran back to the shrine. Her grandfather was away in a relative's home; and her mother and brother were out to attend a friend's wedding, no one was home. Kagome ran straight for her room, still holding her bleeding arm. She made no attempt to fix it as she cried into her pillow. The tears and sweat washed away the powder on her face, and her original two wounds were revealed as well.  
  
Clutching the bleeding arm, Kagome cried herself to sleep. The crimson liquid drenched her new sheets. For a while there, Kagome was at peace. She didn't dream. After a week of tiresome school and the ordeal earlier, she finally found some time to rest. That is, until a voice woke her up.  
  
It was more of a bark than a voice. A shout, maybe, a scream, a howl; it was anything but a simple voice.  
  
"KAGOME, WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!"  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----  
  
Reviews please!  
  



	2. The Solution

Disclaimer: Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But one day I'll buy out Rumiko Takahashi and take Inuyasha from her!  
  
"words words" - Talking  
  
'words words' - thinking  
  
REVIEW RESPONSE:  
  
Morlana - Aww, I didn't mean to make you cry. Don't worry, it'll be happy ending. Inuyasha will kick all the bad guys' asses. *ahem* excuse my choice of words.  
  
Del- kaidein - see? I'm continuing.  
  
Starfruit7 - Inuyasha won't be super smart but he'll be alright. You'll see. Heehee.  
  
Okami-Sedai - Wow, what a long review. Thank you for pointing out the tense switching thing, yea, I tend to do that, a lot. I've only been speaking English for 5 years. I'm trying my best though. If you liked my writing style, then go to website and read my other stories. My amateur works has a lot more mistakes, heehee.  
  
Renangel - if you like my story, then I like you!  
  
Bluecyberdragon8 - Well, not yet, but he will soon.  
  
Me - me? Who's me? Thanx.  
  
The Unnamed Demon - Hehe, thanx, see? I'm updating now  
  
LiL' Chi Chi - I was kinda evil with the cliffie, eh?  
  
Kellychan - whoa, breathe!  
  
Celesta - the edge of your seat, eh? Well, don't fall off, here's chapter two.  
  
Divine-fallen-angle - wow, thanx. It's comments like yours that really makes my day/  
  
Lady Hawke - aww, such a nice review, I'm almost crying. I have other stories if you'd like to read them. Just check out my website.  
  
Arrow-card - hehe, you like seeing Kagome in trouble?  
  
Lady Matsu - It's kinda hard for Kagome to defend herself when there's a whole gang with knives. And she can't use her miko power on humans. But that's what Inuyasha's here for!  
  
Sessy - Hmm. how long are they gonna stay in the future? I don't know. I'm just going along as I write.  
  
Black Wolf Demon - Whoa, get off my leg! J/K. Glad you like it.  
  
Kitsune hanyou - Aren't you glad that I only made you wait a day?  
  
Amanda-chan - Here's more. Enjoy!  
  
Sakura-Mina - Thanks so much! I'll try to update daily so you guys won't have to wait so long.  
  
Silverangle - Of course this will be an Inu/Kag fic. I won't have it any other way.  
  
Anavel Gato - Of course I'll finish it. Hopefully before school starts so I won't be interrupted.  
  
Loki - Hmm. isn't Loki the name of some god of the underground?  
  
Sezukadragon - This soon enough for ya?  
  
----OMG, I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW MANY REVIEWS I GOT JUST FROM THE FIRST CHAPTER. WELL, I WON'T FAIL YOU GUYS! MORE REVIEWS!!!  
  
^_~  
  
**Chapter Two: The Solution  
**  
"WENCH, WAKE UP! WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO YOU!"  
  
Kagome groaned and tried to open her eyes. She was just about to sit up before a pair of clawed hands grabbed her shoulders and dragged her into a sitting position. Kagome groaned louder.  
  
'He knows.' It was all that went through her head before she successfully opened her eyelids. And in front of her, she saw a pair of amber eyes, full of concern, fear, and some anger. "Inuyasha, I......"  
  
Inuyasha let go of her shoulders and started to pace frantically in her room. One of his hands was on Tessaiga. Kagome knew that Inuyasha was upset, so upset that he could very well turn full youkai if it weren't for Tessaiga.  
  
"Who did it? What did it? How did this happen? Was a youkai?" Inuyasha stopped pacing and grabbed her shoulders again. "And your face. Those wounds are healing. You got those wounds a while ago, didn't you?" Something snapped in the back of his head. "It was last Saturday (he learned the days of the week)! I'm right, am I? That's why you had so much powder on your face! You deliberately tried to hide your wounds from me! Tell me who did this to you, Kagome. Tell me and I'll kill those fucking bastard right away! Tell me, dammit!!!"  
  
Kagome was going to scream back at him for yellinging at her. But hearing the concern in his voice after that last statement, she couldn't scream at him. She couldn't do much except fall into his chest and sob her heart out. And that's exactly what she did.  
  
Inuyasha let her cry this time. It usually worried him when Kagome cried, because it's normally all his fault. 'Cry all you want, Kagome, I'll protect you.' He hugged her tighter, scared to let her go, afraid that she'll get hurt again.  
  
He looked down on the wristwatch Kagome gave him, Inuyasha noticed that Kagome has been crying for quite a few minutes. Without letting her out of his arm, he leaned in a little and whispered into her ears, softer this time.  
  
"Tell me, Kagome, who did this to you." One of his hands stroked Kagome's hair, while the other supported the weight of her limp body.  
  
But Kagome wouldn't answer him. She just dug her face deeper into his chest and shook her head vigorously.  
  
Inuyasha started to growl. But as he felt Kagome shiver, he stopped and tried to be gentle again. "C'mon, Kagome, why won't you tell me who did this to you?"  
  
Kagome swallowed a few times and dug her face even deeper. Inuyasha responded by wrapping his arms tighter around her body. Kagome managed to whisper "you can't help me".  
  
But with Inuyasha's keen youkai hearing, he heard her whisper loud and clear, and it angered him. 'I can't help her? What the fuck have I been doing for the past year?' But he didn't say that aloud. Instead he whispered back. "Let me try. I won't allow anyone to hurt you like this."  
  
"I can't tell you." Kagome whispered yet again into his chest. Her breathing was calmer, and her sobbing has stopped. But Inuyasha felt how faster heart was beating. And he smelled the fear emanating from her frail body. 'If I tell Inuyasha that it was some guy from my school who did this to me, he'll never let me come back.'  
  
Inuyasha was getting annoyed now. His arms dropped to his sides and he used the trick that Kagome always used to get him - guilt. "I understand, you don't trust me." His tone was flat.  
  
Kagome withdrew suddenly and looked him straight in the eyes. Frantically, she yelled loudly: "No, Inuyasha, it's not that! I trust you, I do! It's just that......"  
  
Inuyasha didn't let her finish her sentence. He grabbed her injured arm and lifted it up. "You are hurt, Kagome!" He said fiercely, "And you still won't confide in me. How can you expect to believe you when you won't tell me who hurt you?"  
  
"No, Inuyasha, you don't understand." Kagome began to cry again. Inuyasha's heart throbbed at the sight of her tears. But he can't give in now. He had to guilt her into telling him who hurt her.  
  
The two stood like that for a long while, neither was going to give in. But the sound of keys in a lock woke them up from that dream state.  
  
"Oneechan, we're back!" Souta shouted as he ran upstairs to his sister's room. Their mother followed.  
  
Souta entered Kagome's room only to see his hero and his sister standing together in a daze. Kagome had dried up tear trails all over her face. Her wounds from last Friday night were revealed. And her bed sheet was covered with new blood.  
  
"Oneechan, what happened to your arm?!" Souta asked worriedly as he ran to Kagome's side. But before Kagome could answer, Inuyasha grabbed Souta's collar and began to interrogate him.  
  
"Brat, what happened to Kagome's face? Who hurt her?" Inuyasha's face remained stern. His eyes were full of emotions. Souta looked to Kagome for permission to talk, but Mrs. Higurashi answered Inuyasha's question instead.  
  
"Come downstairs, everyone. Inuyasha-kun, I'll tell you what happened."  
  
Inuyasha sat cross-legged on the living room floor while Mrs. Higurashi cleaned Kagome's new wound. Every time Kagome flinched at the pain, Inuyasha's heart would twinge. Souta sat on the side, watching the exchange as though it was a very interesting movie.  
  
"I've told you what happened last Friday, Inuyasha-kun. But," the older woman looked at her daughter with worried eyes, "I'm interested in hearing about what happened tonight as well."  
  
Kagome's eyes remained on the bandaged wound on her arm. There wasn't a choice now. She had to tell everyone, including Inuyasha.  
  
"It was the same gang of people. They dragged me into a dark alley and threatened me that if I go near to Hojo-kun one more time, they'll kill me." Kagome didn't need to look up to know that Inuyasha was about to blow up. "They cut me right next to the vein on my wrist as a last warning. It's not like I can just not talk to Hojo-kun for the rest of my life. He's my friend. And it's not my fault if he wants to talk to me."  
  
Inuyasha remained silent. But Mrs. Higurashi began pacing the room this time. "But I called your school last time. They know about the situation. I don't understand why your math teacher kept you late again."  
  
Kagome sniffed. "I know why now. They probably threatened Mori sensei as well. Mori sensei had to help them; otherwise he'll lose his job."  
  
Kagome's mother stopped pacing at this news. "Kagome, dear, does that mean you know who they are?"  
  
Kagome stiffed up at the realization of her slipup. But eventually she had enough courage to nod. "The girl was Mikagi Akiko. Her brother, the guy who cut me with the knife, was Mikagi Toji."  
  
"Hey, aren't they Chancellor Mikagi's kids?" Souta almost jumped off the couch at the information. "I heard that Mikagi Toji was kicked out from his private school last year because he almost killed some guy."  
  
Kagome nodded. "Since Mikagi Toji is the school chancellor's son, he can do whatever he wants to do. The parents of that guy he almost killed didn't even file a lawsuit. His father probably settled everything with money. But he had to transfer to my high school. And so when it was time for his little sister to go to high school, they automatically brought Mikagi Akiko to this school as well. Even the principal can't do anything about those two and their gang."  
  
Mrs. Higurashi gasped. "Why did you say something earlier, Kagome?"  
  
Kagome scoffed. "It's not like anyone can do anything about them. They'll really kill me if they know that I told the authorities about this. And afterwards, their father can just settle everything with money."  
  
Her mother didn't say more about it. The school chancellor is in charge of the entire school system in Tokyo. He can easily kick Kagome out of her high school. Her entire future was at stake. It wasn't an easy problem to deal with.  
  
"YOU'RE NOT GOING BACK THERE!" After being silent for so long, everyone had almost forgotten about Inuyasha's presence. But it was expected from him.  
  
Kagome sighed. "I knew you were going to say that. That's why I didn't want you to know! I can't give up my education. How many times do I have to tell you that?"  
  
Inuyasha wouldn't back off either. "But these human bastards can very easily hurt you. It's safer in the Sengoku Jidai where we can protect you. I can't be around you all the time when you're in school, and......"  
  
Kagome was a little surprise to hear Inuyasha trail off so unexpectedly. She turned her head to see why he stopped talking so suddenly. But instead, she saw a very happy hanyou with the stupidest grin on his handsome face.  
  
"Inuyasha, are you alright?" Kagome asked with some concern as she walked over.  
  
"C'mon, Kagome, let's go back to Sengoku Jidai!" Inuyasha said cheerfully.  
  
Kagome groaned. "I just said I'll still go to school......"  
  
Inuyasha grabbed her wrist and started to run outside. "Don't worry, Kagome's mother, I'll bring her back soon!"  
  
Souta and his mother waved after the yelling couple and went back to their normal lives of watching TV.  
  
"Inuyasha! Let me go!" Kagome shoved his hand off as soon as they landed on the other side of time.  
  
"Don't worry, Kagome, you can go back to your stupid school on Monday." Inuyasha looked just a bit too happy to Kagome. He lifted her up once again and darted for Kaede's hut.  
  
Inside the shabby hut, everyone was still entranced in Kagome's books. Miroku was reading a history book from Kagome's Junior High Third Grade class. And Sango was working out some sample math problems on a piece of paper with some mechanical pencils Kagome gave to them. Shippo was reading one of Souta's books. It seemed like both Miroku and Sango were almost done with all of Kagome's books.  
  
"Kaede-baba, where the hell are you?!" Inuyasha yelled as he set Kagome down on the ground. Everyone heard him yelling and came outside.  
  
"Inuyasha, why are you being so loud so late at night?" Kaede asked with some annoyance as she came out with the others following right behind.  
  
Everyone was just about to go greet Kagome when they noticed the healing scabs on her cheek and mouth.  
  
"Kagome, what happened to you?!" Shippo screamed out what everyone what thinking.  
  
"Long story, tell you later." Inuyasha batted the question away and turned to Kaede. "Baba, is there any way to get everyone through the Bone Eater's well?"  
  
Everyone went "huh?" at Inuyasha's question.  
  
Kaede thought about it for awhile. "I have thought about why you are the only one besides Kagome who can go through time."  
  
"And?"  
  
Kaede pointed to the rosary on Inuyasha neck. "I think the rosary is what binds you to Kagome."  
  
Inuyasha almost jumped in happiness. "So if you put rosary around Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, they can go through the well too?"  
  
"Inuyasha, we never agreed to have rosaries around our necks!" Sango protested.  
  
"Yeah, and what happened to Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked as well.  
  
Inuyasha was looking smug. "Kagome got hurt because of this bastard and his little sister. The officials over there can't do anything about it. So I was thinking that maybe the three of us can go to Kagome's school and protect her."  
  
Miroku and Sango looked bewildered, but also extremely happy at the thought. Kagome was just plain shocked.  
  
"What? You guys can't go to my school!" Kagome started to shake Inuyasha, trying to wake him up from his crazy plan.  
  
"I think it's a wonderful idea, Kagome-sama." Miroku gave Sango a smile.  
  
Sango nodded along. "We've almost finished all the books you gave us to read, Kagome-chan. We can keep up in your school for sure."  
  
"But......" Kagome tried to protest. But she's so shaken up that she couldn't find any excuse to keep them away.  
  
"Inuyasha, what about me?" Shippo jumped up and down in excitement.  
  
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the kitsune and asked rhetorically. "What about you?"  
  
"I wanna go too!" Shippo whined.  
  
"You're too young. And don't forget about your tail."  
  
"Well, you have dog ears!" Shippo didn't hesitate to point out.  
  
Kagome snapped her fingers. "That's right! Inuyasha, you have ears, and hats aren't allowed in school. Besides, you can't carry Tessaiga around. What if you get too upset and turn full youkai on us?"  
  
Inuyasha growled. His previous cheerful mood was gone. However, Kaede came to everyone's rescue.  
  
"It can be done." The old miko cut in. Everyone looked at her with shock and anticipation. "First step is to put rosaries on Houshi, Sango, and Shippo's necks. As soon as you all reach the other side, Kagome can take them off." The gang nodded, and she continued.  
  
"Shippo can look both human and older. For a youkai he might be young, but in human ages, I wouldn't be surprised if he was older than Miroku. As long as Kagome gives him a Shikon shard to boost his powers so he can fully disguise himself."  
  
Shippo cheered at the news. "I can go to Kagome's school!"  
  
"But Shippo-chan, you just learned how to read the words in Souta's books. High school is too high leveled for you."  
  
"But Kagome......"  
  
Kaede cleared her throat, signifying that she wasn't finished. "Shippo can attend your brother's school, Kagome. But it's very essential that Shippo go with all of you." The look on everyone's face indicated their confusion. "With a power boost from the shard, Shippo can disguise Inuyasha as well. He can hide Tessaiga and his ears."  
  
For the very first time, Inuyasha and Shippo cheered together and came close to hugging each other.  
  
Kagome sputtered. 'There's no way I can convince them out of it, is there?' She sighed in resignation. 'Well, if they're there, I would feel safer.' "Oh, what the heck." Kagome's face finally lit up. "Let's do this!"  
  
Before anything was done, however, Kaede took the liberty of healing the wounds on Kagome's face. With some herbs and a magic spell, the wounds disappeared as though they were never there.  
  
After that was done, Kaede took out four rosary beads and put spell on them. She put the rosaries over Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara's necks. "Choose a subdue word, Kagome."  
  
The rosaries were glowing, and Kagome said aloud the word she had in mind: "shake!"  
  
Inuyasha almost fell over as everyone including Kirara shook their heads. "That's not fair!"  
  
Kagome smiled in a goofy way. The spell wore off soon and they stopped shaking. Next Kagome gave Shippo a small Shikon shard which he inserted into the center of his forehead with some cries of pain.  
  
"Let's try it, Shippo-chan!" Shippo heeded to Kagome's command and put a magical leaf on his head. In a flash, the short, orange, and furry kitsune changed into a taller, young human boy.  
  
"Wow, Shippo-chan, you look just like a ten-year-old boy!" Sango remarked as she bent down to pat Shippo on the head. Miroku took the chance and made a grab for her behind. This, of course, got him a red hand mark on the cheek.  
  
"Oh, Miroku, you can't do that in school." Kagome pointed it out. "You'll get into trouble."  
  
"He's already in trouble." Sango hissed and hit the monk again.  
  
"Now, Shippo, disguise me." Inuyasha poked the human Shippo in the ribcage. Although he didn't say it, he was quite impressed with Shippo's transformation.  
  
"So how do you want to look, Inuyasha?" Shippo stuck out his chest with pride. Another leaf was ready in his hand.  
  
"Change the ears, the claws, and fangs to human ones." Kagome answered instead. "And disguise Tessaiga into a Kendo sword."  
  
"Why Kendo?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"So you can join the Kendo club and have a legitimate reason to carry it around all the time." Kagome smiled at him. "You can do Kendo, right?"  
  
"Keh, of course!" Inuyasha made a note to himself right after he said that to learn Kendo.  
  
"It's done!" Shippo's magic has really improved. In a blink's time, Inuyasha's image totally changed. He still had his silvery hair color and amber eyes, but everything else changed to human-like.  
  
"Great, now we're all ready!" Sango cheered as Kirara jumped into her arms. Everyone got ready for their trip to 500 years into the future.  
  
"One tiny problem." Kagome didn't move. "It's easy for Shippo to go to Souta's school. But if you guys want to go to my high school, you need to take a test first. School isn't for another two days, so I hope I can get you prepared since you guys have been cramming in knowledge for a whole week now. But Inuyasha......"  
  
(A/N: yea, they had only a week to learn everything that you have to know in 9 years. Just think of them as super smart, okay?)  
  
Kagome looked at the half-human looking Inuyasha. She doesn't know that he's been secretly studying as well.  
  
"Keh, I can do it." Inuyasha crossed his arms and began to walk towards the well. "Thanks, Kaede-baba. C'mon, let's go already. It's almost midnight!"  
  
Everyone said goodbye to Kaede and headed for the future. Kagome looked at the cut on her arm, and the future never looked brighter.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------  
  
REVIEW!!!!!!


	3. Preparations

A/N: It's just another high school fic. But I had a lot of fun writing it.  
  
Disclaimer: Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But one day I'll buy out Rumiko Takahashi and take Inuyasha from her!  
  
"words words" - Talking  
  
'words words' - thinking  
  
REVIEW:  
  
Since a lot of you just simply asked me to update, I won't be replying to those.  
  
Del_Kaiden - Thank you for your words of encouragement. I won't make any more grammar mistakes!!! (Yeah, like that's gonna happen.)  
  
Okami-Sedai - Have I told you that you're my favorite reviewer? This chapter is dedicated to you!  
  
XxDevils-AngelxX - Hehe, I call him Hobo. Either way, Hojo should die. He's just way too dense.  
  
Inuluver- As you requested, I'm updating the day after my birthday.  
  
Lady Hawke - I wouldn't stop writing this for the world. I'm actually taking a time-out from watching Kenshin just to update. Hehe, happy?  
  
Starfruit7 - yup, they're all staying at Kagome's house. Miroku wouldn't dare try anything in front of Kagome's mother though. He's perverted, but he's still a monk.  
  
Sorry, but that's all the reviews I found in my account. I know there's a lot more, but I delete all my emails as soon as I read them. And FF.net takes a long time to update reviews. If I missed you, I apologize.  
  
^_~  
  
**Chapter 3: Preparations**  
  
"Mama, Souta, look who I brought!" Kagome opened the door of the shrine house. Her mother and little brother were sitting on the couch watching late night television.  
  
Miroku and the rest of the gang followed Inuyasha inside. Their eyes trailed to the direction of the living room.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi and Souta looked up and were dazed. The clothing of the gang was enough to reveal their identities.  
  
"Oneechan," Souta tugged on Kagome's sleeve and pointed to Miroku, "is he that perverted monk with the black hole in his palm."  
  
Kagome looked at Miroku with a smile. Miroku walked closer to Souta and showed him the hand. "Nice to meet you, little guy, you must be Kagome's little brother."  
  
Souta nodded with wide eyes. His glance drifted to Sango and to Kirara. "Whoa, that cat's got two tails!"  
  
Sango smiled sweetly at Souta and let Kirara down on the floor. "Her name is Kirara, she's a fire cat youkai."  
  
Souta gasped. "Does she really transform?"  
  
Sango nodded and Kirara changed into her giant form on cue. Souta gave a squeal as Kagome's mother went over to pat Kirara on the head. Sango looked at Mrs. Higurashi with respect.  
  
Souta had just noticed Inuyasha's new look. He gasped. "Inu-oniichan, what happened to your dog ears?!"  
  
Inuyasha ignored him and went to the kitchen to look for ramen.  
  
"We're sorry to invade your house so suddenly, Kagome's okaasan." Sango said while bowing. Miroku and Shippo followed suit. "We're here to protect Kagome-chan from her attackers."  
  
Mrs. Higurashi smiled at them appreciatively. "Call me Ai. (A/N: I'll start calling her Ai too, Mrs. Higurashi takes too long to type.) And thank you all for being here." Her eyes fell upon Shippo. "Hello, young man, who might you be?"  
  
"My name is Shippo." Shippo answered cheerfully.  
  
Ai looked over to Kagome. "I thought Shippo was a kitsune youkai."  
  
Kagome simply smiled. Shippo took the cue and changed back to his youkai form right away.  
  
"Kawaii!" Ai gave Shippo a big hug as Souta came closer to play with Shippo's tail as well.  
  
"Mama, Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha are going to attend my school." Kagome cut in after she poured everyone some tea. "But mama, can you help Shippo sign up to go to Souta's school? We need Shippo here to put the disguise on Inuyasha. And we also need you to look over Kirara while we're in school."  
  
"Well, certainly. I'll do whatever I can to help out." The group had some more small talk in the kitchen. They discussed the names they were going to use and all other sorts of excuses. After an entire hour of chatting, they were just about fully prepared. Souta and Shippo already fell asleep on the couch.  
  
"Hey, Kagome-sama, what's that?" Miroku suddenly pointed at the television, which was shut off at the moment.  
  
"Explain tomorrow, honey." Ai patted the sleeping boys' heads. "You must all be tired. Sango-chan and Shippo-chan can sleep in Kagome's room. Miroku- kun and Inuyasha-kun, I'll set up futons in Souta's room for the two of you. The schools are still open for Saturday school. We'll get you guys signed up right away."  
  
Inuyasha growled when he heard that he couldn't sleep in Kagome's room. But something in Ai's tone made him shut up and helped Miroku carry Souta and Shippo to their individual rooms.  
  
"Oh, I almost forgot." Kagome suddenly cried out. She went over to each of her friends and removed their rosaries.  
  
Inuyasha jumped in front of Miroku as Kagome was approaching the monk. But Kagome didn't fall for it. "Move, Inuyasha, your rosary stays."  
  
Inuyasha growled once more and left the living room. It was one in the morning, and everyone was tired. With the exception of Inuyasha, they all fell asleep instantly.  
  
The hanyou rolled around in his futon. The image of Kagome from earlier still haunted his mind. 'She was bleeding, and she cried so much. I wasn't there to help her, but she'll be dreaming if she thinks I'll ever let her out of my sight again.'  
  
*****Saturday morning*****  
  
"Inuyasha, Miroku, Souta, wake up!" Kagome knocked on Souta's bedroom door and shouted. The groans and mumbles from inside told her that they were awake now.  
  
Kagome ran back downstairs and placed the guys' breakfast on the table. Sango was in the living room watching television with the human looking Shippo. The girls and Shippo woke up much earlier. After they've washed up and ate, Kagome had explained the concept of television to them.  
  
"No, Inu-oniichan, Miroku-niichan, we have to brush our teeth first." Kagome can hear Souta's excited voice upstairs. 'Souta must be having a blast. Now he has one more hero to admire.'  
  
After ten minutes, a grumpy hanyou came down with a very clean looking Miroku. Souta followed behind them, beaming.  
  
"Hey guys, here's your breakfast." Kagome shifted over and left the guys eat. Miroku's eyes fell on her. She was wearing a yellow sundress instead of her usual school uniform.  
  
"Waa, Kagome-sama, you look absolutely, what's that word, ah, yes, absolutely gorgeous!" Miroku made a comment which made Kagome smile. Inuyasha growled over-protectively.  
  
"Then you should see Sango-chan." Kagome giggled. "I gave her one of my dresses to wear today."  
  
Miroku seemed to have forgotten about the food in front of him. "Really? And where is my dear Sango?"  
  
Kagome laughed. "Oh, Sango-chan!" She yelled to the direction of the living room. Seconds later, Sango and Shippo appeared.  
  
Miroku didn't waste a second to rush over and grab Sango's hands. "Sango, you look beautiful!" He said with passion. And somehow, it sounded so real, like he actually meant it for once.  
  
Sango really did look good. She was in a dress as well. It was a v-neck, short-sleeved one piece that went just below her knees. It had curves at just the right places. And the lime green color with pink designs looked just perfect on her.  
  
Sango blushed at the comment and made no effort to withdraw her hand. And to everyone's surprise, Miroku made no effort to grope her. Instead, his eyes were on her in the duration of breakfast. Shippo and Souta were making gagging sounds. Kagome and her mother were giggling at Sango's blushes. And Inuyasha, well, he just swallowed his fourth bowl of ramen.  
  
"This won't do at all." Kagome's mother suddenly spoke up. Her eyes were on the boys' clothing. "You can't go out dressing like that. Until you get all your school uniforms, you'll have to wear modern clothes." Ai left the dining room and came back with some old clothes that haven't been worn for a long time.  
  
"Shippo-chan can wear Souta's clothes. Miroku-kun and Inuyasha-kun," Ai threw them each a pair of jeans and t-shirts, "these are some of Kagome's father's old clothes. They should be perfect for you two. They're a little old-fashioned though, but we'll go shopping after registration, and I'll buy you some stylish ones."  
  
Inuyasha studied the jeans and t-shirt while Miroku thanked Ai for her hospitality. Souta dragged the two guys upstairs to show them how to put on those clothes, while the girls waited downstairs with eager anticipation.  
  
"I ain't going out looking like this!" Inuyasha can be heard screaming on top of lungs.  
  
"But Inuyasha, they're rather comfortable." Miroku was trying to convince his hanyou friend to go downstairs.  
  
"They look weird!" Inuyasha whined.  
  
Miroku said something to Inuyasha, something that wasn't audible to the girls in the kitchen. But whatever he said, it made Inuyasha shut up right away.  
  
"Should we go?" Miroku appeared suddenly with a grumpy Inuyasha followed behind. Shippo was tugging on his shirt and Souta was grinning like an idiot.  
  
Kagome pulled Souta aside as soon as he entered the kitchen. "Hey, Souta, what did Miroku say to Inuyasha to make him shut up?"  
  
Souta grinned. "What do I get for telling you, oneechan?"  
  
Kagome growled slightly. "Nothing. But I'll tell you this: if you don't tell me, you can kiss your Ultra-man action figure good-bye!"  
  
Souta frowned. "Fine." He beckoned his sister to lean in and whispered, making sure that Inuyasha wouldn't hear. "Miroku told Inu-oniichan that if he doesn't wear the clothes, he can't protect you."  
  
Kagome was dazed, a little touched about how far Inuyasha was willing to go for her. But her mind snapped back as soon as Miroku asked her for something to drink.  
  
Kagome almost burst out laughing when she saw Miroku. 'Mama was right, those clothes are a tad out of date.' She glanced over the monk. 'Wow, I never seen Miroku out of those robes before, he doesn't look half bad.' Kagome blushed at the thought. But her red steaks were nothing compared to Sango's.  
  
Kagome would've teased Sango about it. But she was too busy looking at Inuyasha. How Inuyasha was able to carry off her father's old clothes was a mystery. Miroku looked good. But Inuyasha was simply on fire. The short sleeves revealed his usually hidden biceps. And the slightly tight t-shirt wasn't doing a very good job hiding his chest muscles.  
  
Ai suddenly cleared her throat. "If the drooling fest is over," She whispered to Sango and Kagome, "I think we should get going."  
  
That snapped the two girls out of their daze.  
  
"Souta, why don't you stay here and watch over Kirara and Bouyo. Grandpa's coming back today, make sure he doesn't chase Kirara, and explain to him the situation." Souta whined at his mother's request. But staying home with a cat youkai wasn't bad either. So he finally agreed after he made Kagome promise to bring home ice-cream.  
  
Once out of the shrine, everything turned wild. They agreed to walk to Souta's school first and register Shippo. The walk was not a long one. The group has already been introduced to cement when they first arrive last night, so that wasn't a big surprise. But next came the cars, lamp posts, traffic lights, tall buildings, lack of trees, and finally, planes flying up in the sky.  
  
"Kagome, look, it's chocolate!" Shippo shouted in delight as he noticed a picture of a chocolate ice-cream cone on the window of a store.  
  
"Do you want some, Shippo-chan?" Kagome's mother asked. Shippo nodded vigorously. So the group took a short stop as everyone got ice-cream.  
  
"Ah, it's cold!" Shippo yelled after taking a bite.  
  
"Yea, brat, it's called ice-cream, baka." Inuyasha licked his cone. He knew more about this time than others, and this is the perfect opportunity to show off.  
  
"Wow, it's snow that tastes like chocolate!" Shippo squealed happily.  
  
"Oi, where's Miroku?" Inuyasha suddenly ask. Everyone looked around and Miroku was nowhere in sight.  
  
"Oh, jeez, did we lose one already?" Kagome began to panic. But loud giggling sounds attracted their attention. Not far away from them, Miroku was surrounded by a bunch of waitresses. And Sango looked as though she was about to pop a vein.  
  
"Hey, Miroku-kun, why is your hand wrapped around in cloths? And what's with the bead?" One of the girls asked.  
  
"Because he's a perverted idiot who tends to touch women more than needed." Inuyasha answered as he started to drag Miroku away despite the monk's protest.  
  
But the girls only giggled more as they noticed Inuyasha's presence. Kagome joined Sango in the "popping-a-vein" club.  
  
"I think we should leave before those two get killed." Shippo suggested to Kagome's mother, who nodded in agreement.  
  
The registration at Souta's school went without a glitch. Ai filled out a form. Shippo's full name was Kitsune Shippo. She put down 10 as age so he could be in the same grade as Souta. As for last school's transcripts, Shippo put on a very convincing act.  
  
"My house was burned to the ground, and my parents died in the fire. I had my papers but they were burned as well." Shippo put on his puppy face, and the lady in the registration office was on the verge of tears. She didn't even bother ask what Shippo's relations with Ai was, and accepted him without any further questions.  
  
"I can't believe how smoothly that went." Kagome exclaimed as they left the elementary school. "She even put Shippo in all of Souta's classes."  
  
Shippo grinned proudly. 'The puppy face never fails!"  
  
On the way to Kagome's high school they worked over the plan they formed from the night before.  
  
"Okay, Miroku and Inuyasha, you two will be 18 years old, since that's how old Mikagi Toji is." Kagome said nervously as they were slowly approaching her school's front gate. "Sango-chan will be my age, 16, and hopefully, you'll be put into all my classes."  
  
"But, Kagome-sama, we only know what you know." Miroku's face became serious. "How will Inuyasha and I survive in a higher grade?"  
  
Kagome shrugged. "Let's just hope that everything will work out."  
  
The registration in the high school was a bit more tedious. Inuyasha became Taisho Inuyasha, Miroku was Houshi Miroku, and Sango was Kirara Sango. It was somewhat uncreative, but they wouldn't have it any other way. Their excuse for not having papers was that they came from Hokkaido, and on the trip here, they lost them on the train. The registration lady was a little suspicious, but didn't press for more.  
  
"Alright, the three of you have to take an entrance exam. And your classes will be decided on the scores you get." The lady said in a monotonous voice.  
  
"What does that mean?" Ai asked just in case.  
  
"It means that if these two," she pointed at Inuyasha and Miroku, "pass the test, they'll be in the 3rd year, no exception. And the girl will be in the 1st year. But depending on the scores they get on the different subjects, they might not be in the same class as their fellow students. Say if Houshi- san gets a high score in history, but a low one in math, he'll probably get into a 1st grade math class and a 3rd grade history class."  
  
Kagome and her mother nodded in unison. "So when do they take their tests?"  
  
"They can take them today if they want. It'll take a while though. We must test them on 5 different subjects. One hour each, that's five hours."  
  
Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku looked at each other and made up the same decision. They said together, "we'll take them right now!"  
  
Kagome looked at them, especially Inuyasha, in surprise. But she said nothing.  
  
"Alright, there you go." The lady handed them each a pencil and five sheets of paper. "You can take them here, in my office." Then she turned to Kagome's mother, "will you be waiting for them here?"  
  
Ai shook her head. "No, we'll come back in five hours to pick them up." Ai turned to Kagome and Shippo. "Let's take the time to shop for Miroku-kun and Inuyasha-kun."  
  
Kagome nodded. After she whispered a "good luck" to her friends, the three left the building.  
  
Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango started as once.  
  
'First question, give a short summary of Lady Murasaki's Tales of Genji.' Inuyasha sighed in relief as he read the question on the Asian literature sheet. 'That's an easy one. Ofuku read it to me when I was little.'  
  
On his right, Miroku sat there chewing on his pencil. 'Sango looks so beautiful today. No, focus. Okay, first question, describe the green house effect on the earth's ozone layer.' Miroku almost laughed as he began writing. 'I read over this section in Kagome-sama's book almost a hundred times. I know it by heart!'  
  
Sango was having little trouble with the math sheet. 'Hmm, it's a simple trigonometry problem. Too easy!'  
  
Time went on fast for the rest of the afternoon. Kagome, Ai, and Shippo shopped around for clothes while the three buried themselves in their tests. Kagome was nervous the entire afternoon. She wasn't worried about Miroku or Sango. But when Inuyasha didn't even open one of her books, it seemed unlikely that he'll be accepted.  
  
'I hope he doesn't get frustrated and kill the lady at registration.' Kagome sighed. She usually loved shopping, but she wasn't having any fun at the moment.  
  
*****5 hours later*****  
  
"Hey, you guys, how did you do?!" Kagome practically ran as she saw her friends waiting for her in the hallway. 'Okay, no scorch marks from Kaze no Kizu, that's a good sign.'  
  
"Not bad." Miroku answered. Sango gave Kagome a reassuring smile. And Inuyasha was smirking in his usually arrogant manner.  
  
The lady from earlier stepped out of her office. "I finished grading them. Not bad."  
  
Kagome and Ai shouted in surprised. "What?! You finished grading them already?"  
  
The lady blinked. "They finished 3 hours early. And I had a little help from some teachers." Kagome and Ai kept on looking surprised, and the lady rolled her eyes at them. "Well, all three of you did okay. But I'm sorry to say, Houshi-kun and Taisho-kun are still only at 1st grade level for most subjects."  
  
Miroku didn't look that disappointed. But Inuyasha growled a little.  
  
"Okay, here are your schedules, and you can go pick up your uniforms in the student store."  
  
Kagome glanced over their schedules and yelled happily. "Hey, Sango-chan, you are in all my classes!" She looked at the registration lady with some surprise.  
  
The lady smiled for the very first time. "I'm not heartless. Welcome to Ryonan high school!" And with that, she turned and left.  
  
The group of six walked toward the student store to pick up their uniforms.  
  
"Hey, Sango, Kagome-sama, it seems like Inuyasha and I are in your math, history, and English class together." Miroku announced happily after they compared their schedules.  
  
"Huh?" Kagome raised an eyebrow. "What about Asian Literature, Art, P.E., and Science?"  
  
"Well, I'm still in Asian literature with the two of you, but Inuyasha's in the third grade level." Miroku answered. "And I'm in the third grade science level while Inuyasha's in the first grade level. And I guess we're separate for art and gym classes."  
  
"Wow, that's very impressive that the both of you are in at least one of the senior classes for a major subject." Ai remarked.  
  
Kagome was silent. 'Miroku I can understand. He was so fascinated with Science. But how did Inuyasha get into such high level Asian Literature? And how did he pass all the other subjects?'  
  
"Hey, Inuyasha......" Kagome was just about to ask when Inuyasha seemed to have read her mind and answered for her.  
  
"Ofuku read a lot of stories to me when I was little." Inuyasha looked straight ahead. "And it's not like I don't hear when you guys read so loud."  
  
Sango and Miroku smiled understandingly. But Kagome was still very surprised at her new find. 'Wow, body and brains, I never noticed.'  
  
"So school starts on Monday?" Sango asked eagerly as she looked over her uniform.  
  
Kagome nodded, happy that she was finally going to be safe.  
  
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REVIEW!!!!!!!!!


	4. First Days are Filled with Surprises

A/N: It's just another high school fic. But I had a lot of fun writing it.  
  
Disclaimer: I own Inuyasha, just like I am a man!!! And no, I am not a man, so that means I, sadly, don't own Inuyasha. *tears*  
  
"words words" - Talking  
  
'words words' - thinking  
  
REVIEW RESPONSE:  
  
Since a lot of you just simply asked me to update, I won't be replying to those.  
  
Kayarb - breathe, girl, breathe. I don't want anyone to suffocate because of my fic. Breathe, here's chapter 4.  
  
Three-Letter-Word - ooo, Marmalade Boy, that was one messed up anime. Do you think I should explain the first grade/third grade concept?  
  
Angel452 - What'll happen next? Well, you just need to wait and see. And Inuyasha won't be beating them up for a while. Afterall, he might get Kagome into trouble.  
  
Lil' Chi Chi - why, aren't you the hyper one. Okay, as you request, this chapter (a semi-funny chapter) is dedicated to you! (oh, and I think it might do you good to lay low on the sugar)  
  
Del_kaiden - Inuyasha, brains and muscles. And that's why we all love him.  
  
Dangerous-beans - no, don't kill youself, here's chapter 4!!! Their grandpa? That'll come later.  
  
Katherine - thank you for your suggestion. Hmm. red and black. I'll stick with red, I'll consider the black.  
  
Amelle - I can tell you're not the kind of person who loves cliffhangers. But sadly, this chapter is a cliffie. Don't kill me!!!  
  
Inubros - wow, I update every other day, and that's not fast enough?! Nothing is good enough for you people!!! *sob*  
  
Tiff - woohoo, I got a hug. Now, why can't everyone be nice like you?  
  
Lady Hawke2- aww, sorry about your pen-name. I already dedicated this chapter to Lil' Chi Chi, so I'll give the next chappie to you. Feel better?  
  
Kitsune Hanyou - yea, I'm happy. I'm finally 16!! And speaking of Sesshomaru, I'm still considering whether to put him here or not.  
  
Ever Happy - Good question. Sango's bracelet will appear later. And it's gonna be important to the San/Mir pairing part.  
  
Sorry, but that's all the reviews I found in my account. I know there's a lot more, but I delete all my emails as soon as I read them. And FF.net takes a long time to update reviews. If I missed you, I apologize.  
  
^_~  
  
Chapter 4: First Days are filled with Surprises  
  
"Class, allow me to introduce two news students." A pretty and young teacher stood between Inuyasha and Miroku. "This is Taisho Inuyasha-kun, and this is Houshi Miroku-kun." She then turned to the two. "Is there anything you'd like to say to the class?"  
  
Inuyasha grunted as shrugged. He looked around the classroom and saw several pairs of girly eyes looking at him and Miroku with great interest. He "keh"ed and stuffed his hands into his uniform pant pockets.  
  
Miroku, however, didn't shy away. He noticed the girls looking at him as well and took his chance. Kagome warned him several times before not to grope people or ask girls to bear his children, but that didn't mean he can't charm them. "All the lovely ladies, please call me Miroku," he gave a bow; "I'm always here to serve."  
  
The girls all giggled at his suave introduction. Inuyasha snorted and looked away.  
  
"Well, Taisho-kun, Houshi-kun, please take your seats in the back. This will be your homeroom and you'll be spending all time here except for P.E. and Art. You may call me Tsuzuki sensei. Oh dear," The teacher exclaimed as she glanced over their schedules, "Oh, I see, you'll only be spending a class each in this room. Alright, I understand. Please take the two empty seats behind Mikagi-kun. Mikagi-kun, please raise you hand."  
  
A bored looking boy raised his hand half-heartedly. His name triggered a memory in Inuyasha and Miroku's heads. Suddenly, the mood in the room got very tense.  
  
The teacher noticed that the two boys weren't moving, "Mikagi Toji-kun is right there. Please take your seats."  
  
Miroku snapped out of his daze and pinched Inuyasha slightly on the arm. The two moved slowly to their seats. Inuyasha sat directly behind Toji, Miroku sat next to Inuyasha. The two shot venomous stares to the back of Toji's head.  
  
They've found their target.  
  
^_~  
  
Meanwhile, the mood in Kagome's classroom was much happier. Takagi sensei, Kagome's homeroom teacher had just finished introducing Sango to the class, and assigned her a seat right next to Kagome.  
  
"Kagome-chan," There was a few minutes left until homeroom ends and then Asian Literature would start. A couple of students had finished introducing themselves to Sango, and the two friends were left to be in peace. "Is that girl here? The one that threatened you?"  
  
Kagome shook her head with a smile. "She's two rooms away. We won't have to see her until gym class." Sango smiled back, and Kagome continued. "Sango- chan, you have no idea how happy I am that I get to come to school with you and the guys. Thank you so much."  
  
Sango patted Kagome's hand. "We're best friends. Don't thank us for such a small task."  
  
"Hello girls!" Miroku's head stuck out of nowhere and greeted them with a happy face.  
  
"Miroku!" Kagome shouted in surprise. "Oh, I forgot that you have Asian Literature with us! Sit!"  
  
Miroku sat behind Sango and placed his briefcase on the desk. "I'm actually a little worried about leaving Inuyasha alone. It just so happens that we were both assigned in the same homeroom as Mikagi Toji. And the teacher made Inuyasha sit directly behind him. He wasn't looking so good when I left. If he didn't have Tessaiga, then we would've been in deep trouble."  
  
"I was afraid of that." Kagome sighed. "But Shippo disguised Tessaiga. At least he can carry it around without too much suspicion."  
  
Miroku nodded. "It was a really good idea. There was already this guy from the Kendo club that invited Inuyasha to join them."  
  
"What did Inuyasha say?" Sango asked.  
  
"Yes, of course, he said exactly what Kagome-sama told him to say." Miroku answered with some amusement. "Kagome-sama, you've got Inuyasha on a pretty tight leash."  
  
Kagome blushed. "Miroku, how many times do I have to tell you? Don't call me with 'sama' while we're in school. Just called me Kagome."  
  
"Hai, hai." Miroku answered with a smile. "So who's our Asian Lit teacher?"  
  
Sango looked at her schedule. "Chie sensei. Kagome-chan, is she nice?"  
  
Kagome nodded. "And she's really fun too. We're reading haikus right now. And she's even making us write some."  
  
"That's perfect." Miroku said while taking out the notebook Kagome's mother prepared for them the night before. "I'm quite the haiku writer. I was even a part of a haiku festival once."  
  
"A haiku festival? What's that?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Good question, Higurashi-san." A woman's voice loomed over the room. "Can someone explain what a haiku festival is?"  
  
Miroku raised the hand with kazaana high up. The woman called on him and he stood up to answer, just like Kagome taught him. "It's where hundreds of poets gather together to write chains of haiku. One poet would start using a phrase or some words. Then the next poet would write another one, but with reference to the previous haiku."  
  
He sat down and the woman clapped her hands together. "Very good. I'm surprised you know this since the haiku festival originated from a few hundred years ago and isn't practiced very often nowadays."  
  
Miroku gave a charming smile. "I know a lot about things from several hundred years ago. I can even recite some old haikus."  
  
The woman smiled. "No need. You're Houshi Miroku-kun, are you not? You may call me Chie sensei. Class, we have a new student with us. He is in the 3rd grade, however, and will leave for some other classes, I'm afraid. But you've proved yourself quite enlightening."  
  
Miroku smiled again and bowed his head slightly. In front of him, Sango was beaming with pride.  
  
"And you must be Miss Kirara Sango. It's nice to have you here too." She turned to Sango and smiled. "Now, class, let's start writing some haikus!"  
  
^_~  
  
"Here you go, Taisho-kun, your copy of Tales of Genji. Don't lose it." The teacher handed Inuyasha a thick book and went back to the front of the class.  
  
"Today, we'll start to study the world's first novel, Lady Murasaki's Tale of Genji. Genji's mother was one of the lord's concubines and she died young. And so no matter how handsome or talented Genji was, he couldn't become crowned prince. Well, I'm just putting it in layman's terms. Genji's not his real name; it's the name of his job. Tales of Genji isn't something that you'll fully understand unless you study it in depth in college. But I'm giving you guys' a head start. Now open your books to page one, and I'll introduce some ancient terms that you all should know before reading......"  
  
Inuyasha drifted off. He didn't need to know what those ancient terms for ranks meant; he knew them all too well.  
  
'His fate ruined just because he wasn't the official prince.' Inuyasha scoffed. 'Genji, I know exactly how you feel.'  
  
Inuyasha ignored the teacher's boring lesson and stared at the back of Toji's head as if though he wanted to burn holes in it. Toji wasn't listening either. He was passing notes to this guy sitting next to him.  
  
'Bastard, you're dead.'  
  
^_~  
  
Miroku stretched. "What's next, Kagome-sa......." he stopped before the complete slipup, "Kagome?"  
  
Kagome smiled. "We get five minutes of break time, and then Math, my favorite subject." She said sarcastically.  
  
"So Inuyasha should be joining us." Sango remarked as she took out her math textbook.  
  
"Hey, Kagome, isn't your math teach the one you suspect of being threatened by that Toji guy?" Miroku whispered as he put his books on the empty desk behind Kagome to save Inuyasha a seat.  
  
Kagome nodded gravely. But their discussion was cut short by a squeal. "Kagome-chan!" Ayumi's head stuck into Kagome's classroom.  
  
"Ayumi-chan!" Kagome gasped. Miroku and Sango looked at her with puzzled eyes. "Oh, um, hi."  
  
Ayumi walked in and faced Kagome. "I came to visit you. Who are your friends? I've never seen them before."  
  
Kagome looked back and forth from Sango to Miroku. "Oh, um, they're new here. This is Kirara Sango, and Houshi Miroku."  
  
Miroku restrained his hands as best as he could and pasted a smile on his face. "Nice to meet you, lovely lady."  
  
Sango rolled her eyes, but she was still grateful that Miroku didn't try to grope the girl. "Hi, how do you do?"  
  
Ayumi smiled sweetly. "It's nice to meet the both of you." Then she turned to Kagome. "Well, break's ending, I'll see you after school, Kagome-chan!" With that, Ayumi left.  
  
"After school?" Sango asked Kagome.  
  
"My friends and I usually meet after school to eat. Ayumi-chan and Hojo-kun are both in Mikagi Akiko's homeroom." Kagome answered absentmindedly as she got herself ready for Math.  
  
The classroom door opened loudly as a very angry human-looking hanyou stepped in. Inuyasha ignored people's stares and searched for his friends. He found them without trouble and took the seat behind Kagome.  
  
"I saw the bastard." Inuyasha growled through gritted teeth.  
  
"Inuyasha, stop growling." Kagome slapped him lightly on the arm. "We know, Miroku told us."  
  
"Well, Inuyasha, you're about to meet another bastard." Miroku added with amusement. "Remember that math teach Kagome told us about? Well, he's going to be our teacher for this class."  
  
Inuyasha's head snapped up. Kagome noticed that his eyes were slowly turned red. She made a grab for his hand and placed it over the disguised Tessaiga. Inuyasha's youkai blood calmed down immediately and he snapped back to reality.  
  
"Inuyasha? Are you alright?" Kagome asked with concern. People all around them were watching the silver-haired boy with great interest now. And to Kagome's discontent, most of them were giggling girls.  
  
Inuyasha nodded as he took out his notebooks and textbook. The bell rang and Mori sensei arrived a second late.  
  
"Gomen, everyone, I realize that I'm a little late." The short and bald man said while dropping his briefcase down on the teacher's desk. He glanced over the attendance sheet and noticed Inuyasha and Miroku. "Ah, Taisho Inuyasha, Houshi Miroku, and Kirara Sango, eh? Well, it's nice to have you here. Did you get your books yet?"  
  
'Wish I could say the same.' Inuyasha grimaced. "Hai, Kagome got us copies."  
  
Kagome blushed as she heard Inuyasha say her name aloud in front of the entire class. The girls were beginning to whisper now, and she doesn't need Inuyasha's ears to know what they were saying.  
  
Even though Inuyasha appeared human at the moment, he was still half youkai. And he can hear the girls' whispers loud and clear. 'Boyfriend? That sounds like that English crap Kagome's learning. Doesn't "boy" mean otokonoko? And "friend" means tomodachi. Hey, I'm not a boy, I'm a man! Well, I'm a male, and I'm her friend, so I guess they're right.'  
  
"Oh, you know Higurashi-san? Well, that's wonderful." Mori said while wiping away some sweat on his forehead.  
  
Inuyasha said it without thinking. "Yea, I know her, I'm her boyfriend." He half smirked; something about that word amused him.  
  
Kagome almost chocked. 'What did he say?!? Does he even know what it means?' Kagome blushed deep red. Sango snickered and Miroku had a confused look on his face. Kagome had told Sango what the word "boyfriend" meant.  
  
The whispers were getting louder. Kagome was able to hear some "see, I knew it", and some sighs of disappointment from the crowd. 'Jeez, should I kill him or hug him?' Kagome buried her face into her arms. 'Maybe I'll do both.'  
  
Mori sensei was a little shocked at first, but he snapped himself out of it pretty fast. "Well, Taisho-kun, we don't need to discuss that kind of matter here in class. Anyway, let's open our books and do some exercises."  
  
But Inuyasha couldn't concentrate. 'That kind of matter? What kind of matter? What did I say?'  
  
^_~  
  
Math was hideously long. But Kagome didn't want it to end. Because she knew that as soon as it ended, she'll be bombarded with questions and comments.  
  
Math ended, the break came, and Science was next. The entire class rose to their feet and walked out to go to their biology lab for a double period of Science class.  
  
"I'll see you later!" Miroku waved and headed to other way to his Earth Science class. The gang waved as well and started trudging through the crowded hall way.  
  
"Wow, Kagome-chan, there are so many people here." Sango whispered as she walked on the right side of Kagome. Inuyasha walked on her left side, carrying his briefcase over his shoulder.  
  
Kagome nodded. She didn't want to start talking. What happened last period was still fresh in her mind. She can only pray that no one will bring it up again.  
  
Her prayer wasn't answered.  
  
"Higurashi, how lucky you are." A cocky female voice stopped the three friends in their tracks. They all turned around to see who it was, and it was a gang of three girls that was in their math class. The crowd in the hallways seemed to have noticed the tension, and everyone stopped to watch.  
  
"So I guess Hojo-kun isn't enough for you." The girl standing in the middle said. She wore a high ponytail. And her body was emitting arrogance (along with a strong perfume that was making Inuyasha dizzy).  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes in disdain. "What do you want, Kamiya?"  
  
The girl walked closer to them. "'Kamiya'? Why being so distant, Kagome- chan? Just call me by my first name, Sonoko." Though she was talking to Kagome, her eyes were all over Inuyasha. "Why don't you introduce me to your yummy boyfriend?"  
  
'Did this bitch just call me yummy? I ain't food!' Inuyasha thought while putting on a sour face. Sonoko's perfume was really getting to him. "What's that smell?"  
  
Sonoko seemed delighted that Inuyasha was "smelling" her. "Do you like it, Inuyasha-kun? It's called 'Irresistible'." She put on a puppy face and leaned closer. But that just made Kagome growl and Inuyasha back away.  
  
Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and Sango's arms and turned away. "Irresistible is right. You stink so much that I can't resist getting away from you. Kagome, Sango, let's go already!"  
  
Inuyasha said that so loud that the entire crowd that was gathering in the hallway heard him. Everyone broke out in laughter. That Sonoko girl was so embarrassed that she began to run the other way.  
  
"Sonoko, we have class!" One of her friends yelled after her.  
  
"I have a headache; I'm going to see the nurse!" Sonoko ran at top speed. The crowd was howling with laughter until the late bell rang and broke them up.  
  
The three friends walked toward their lab room. Inuyasha was constantly rubbing his nose. Sango was having a laughing fit, and Kagome was in a daze for the millionth time that day.  
  
Finally, Kagome managed to speak up. "You just pissed off Kamiya Sonoko." She turned to Inuyasha with a surprised look on her face.  
  
Inuyasha stopped rubbing his nose and asked curiously. "You mean that smelly bitch back there? So what if I pissed her off? I don't give a crap."  
  
Kagome shook her head. "She's Mikagi Akiko's best friend. Kamiya Sonoko and Mikagi Akiko run the first grade."  
  
Inuyasha raised his right eyebrow. "That's good, isn't it? Don't we want to have revenge? And what better way than to get that Mikagi bitch than to humiliate her best friend?"  
  
Kagome groaned. "But Inuyasha, you're attracting too much attention. Soon Mikagi Akiko will be on you. And that will ultimately lead to a face-off against her brother and their entire gang!!!"  
  
Inuyasha only "keh"ed at her concerns and opened the door to their biology lab room. Several students were already seated and chatting. From what Inuyasha can catch, they were all talking about the incident earlier in the hallway. Most girls were treating him like a hero. But the majority was apparently very concerned about him as well.  
  
The three took their seats. The lab desks were seated for four people. But since most chairs were already occupied, they couldn't find a desk where there were three vacant seats. Being the good friend she was, Sango moved voluntarily to sit with three guys and left Inuyasha to Kagome.  
  
Inuyasha sat down with Kagome opposite of two girls who were chatting. As soon as they noticed Inuyasha was sitting at their table, their faces turned red. And from what Inuyasha could hear, they stopped breathing for quite a while.  
  
"Oi, Kagome, who's our teacher?" Inuyasha ignored those girls' watery mouths and started to play with the dissecting equipments. "Are we gonna eat or something? What's with the knives?"  
  
Kagome sniggered. 'He's so cute when he's ignorant.' Kagome glanced around, the teacher wasn't there yet. "Those aren't eating knives, they're for dissections. And our biology teacher's name is Tomoeda sensei. He's also a gym teacher and adviser to the school's kendo team. You'll have to meet him personally later for the kendo thing."  
  
Inuyasha kept on playing with the knives, throwing them up high in the air and then catching them without hurting his hands. "Is he a bastard?"  
  
Kagome watched his knife-throwing activity intently, just like all the other people in the class. "No, he's actually the best teacher in the entire school." Kagome blushed. 'Not to mention young and handsome.' But if she has said that out loud, Inuyasha would probably pop a vein.  
  
Suddenly, Inuyasha stopped moving. He turned to face Kagome with a serious look on his face. "Oi, Kagome, do you smell that?"  
  
Kagome blinked. "I don't have a nose like yours, Inuyasha. What do you smell?"  
  
Inuyasha growled slightly and began to look around. A single word came out of his mouth:  
  
"youkai."  
  
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REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!


	5. Yucky Worm Guts and an Old Ally

Rumiko Takahashi: Are you person who's being claiming my Inuyasha?  
  
Me: Yea, and what are you gonna do about it!?  
  
Rumiko sensei: Fluffy-chan, kill her!  
  
Me: Ahh, okay, okay, I don't own Inuyasha, let me live! I just wanna write about him.  
  
REVIEWS:  
  
Oh man, so many reviews to answer. To those that just wanted me to update soon, I won't be answering to them.  
  
Subaruu - I'm more evil than you, so live with it.  
  
Three-Letter-Word - Okay, I'll just explain here. In Japan (and China), there are only 3 years in High School instead of 4 like in America. (But they have 6 years in elementary and 3 in junior high, so we're even). And their freshmen in High School are the equivalent of 10th graders in American schools. They call those freshmen 1st graders of high school. 11th grade here is 2nd grade high school there. 12th grade here is 3rd grade there. Get it? And so Kagome and Sango are in 1st grade (10th grade), and Miroku and Inuyasha are in 3rd grade (12th grade). Okay, that's the best I can do.  
  
Kayarab - haha, you're funny.  
  
Starfruit7 - no, he hasn't figured it out yet. But he'll know later. Who's the youkai? You'll find out today.  
  
MingLay - Kendo is an old sport in Japan. It's like fencing using wooden swords, but the stance is different and it can really hurt you.  
  
Kitsune Hanyou - are you a psychic or something? Read the chapter and you'll see what I mean.  
  
The Unnamed Demon - hehe, yea, sorry about the cliffie. This chapter happens to be one too. *innocent grin*  
  
Keyta - aww, and I like my eyes. Ahh, evil spoon! Miroku? He's gonna be a good boy and not grope girls, not much anyway.  
  
LightHopemayShine - the thing is, in Japan, modern teenagers use the English boy/girlfriend phrases. So when the girls in the class were whispering, they said it in English with a Japanese accent. And since Inuyasha doesn't really understand the significance of the word, he separated it into two words: boy and friend, and translated them individually. And even if you say "boy friend" in English, it can mean male friend.  
  
Dangerous beans - haha, you and your hamster.  
  
Mishi4- haha, Hoho. I'm trying to make this as funny as possible but be serious at the same time.  
  
Katherine9 - Fluffy? I thought about it. Maybe. Even if he does appear, it'll be in later chapters. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.  
  
LuckyLadyCat - I'm usually very descriptive (read my other fics and you'll see). But I wrote most of this fic (actually all of it) at 3 or 4 in the morning. And I just wanted to finish it and sleep. So I'll try to be more descriptive later on. The clothing are just normal high school uniform. When they wear their casual clothes, I'll describe them more closely. K? Don't lose faith in my writing skills.  
  
Lil' Chi Chi - Yup, hyper as usual. I always look forward to your reviews.  
  
Ever Happy - Okay, LISTEN UP PEOPLE, DON'T EAT JELLO WHILE YOU'RE READING THIS FIC! Hehe, you like cliffies? Here's another one.  
  
Silverinuyasha - simple and to the point.  
  
Flint - aww, that's not very original. *read the A/N at the bottom*  
  
Radical Edward - wow, I feel honored.  
  
Bluelily07- jeez, you people are touchy.  
  
Kagome-chan15 - yea, I got confused reading your review. But keep reviewing!  
  
Toku-chan - ooooo, flaming fist of fury, that's a new one. Here's another chapter, don't kill me now!  
  
Sorry if I left some people out. There was just too many.   
  
^_~  
  
**Chapter 5: Yucky Worm Guts and an Old Ally**  
  
Kagome froze. 'Youkai? In this time? No way!' She looked around and saw that the lab room door was open and their teacher, Tomoeda sensei, was standing on the doorstep, wearing his usual brown suit, apparently in shock while staring at Inuyasha.  
  
"Tomoeda sensei?" Kagome whispered while watching Inuyasha growl at their biology teacher. "He can't be a youkai!"  
  
Inuyasha sneered, not taking his eyes off the man. "He can change his appearance, probably kitsune magic, but I'll never forget his fucking scent for as long as I live."  
  
Kagome gasped. "No way, you know him!?" Kagome glanced at her teacher. Tomoeda was a man around thirty years old. He was one of the nicest and funniest teachers in the school. The only word to describe him would be "cool". He even has a high ponytail that makes him looks like he's part of a rock band. Not to mention he's also a gym teacher and excellent at Kendo. And he calls all the girls in the class by "-chan" and even brings food to classes.  
  
Tomoeda sensei was shocked too at the sight of Inuyasha. But he snapped himself out of it pretty quickly before his students can begin to suspect. 'Shit, I never expected him to be here.'  
  
The man cleared his throat and walked to the front of the room and put his dissecting kit down. He obviously tried to ignore Inuyasha deadly stare, but it was kind of hard with Inuyasha's growls.  
  
"Good morning, everyone." Tomoeda sensei's voice wasn't as booming as usual, but the class quieted down anyway. He glanced over his attendance sheet. "Ah, I see we have two new students with us today. Taisho......" He paused before speaking the full name, "Inuyasha-kun, and Kirara Sango-chan. Welcome. Umm, where is Kamiya Sonoko-chan?"  
  
Kamiya's girl friend from earlier replied with a hint of despite in her eyes as she stared at Kagome. "Sensei, Sonoko-chan had a stomachache and had to go to the nurse."  
  
"Ah." Tomoeda didn't press further. "So, um, we start our first dissection today with an earthworm. I guess Taisho-kun can pair up with Kagome-chan. And Sango-chan, your partner will be Yamato-kun."  
  
Sango smiled and nodded to the boy sitting next to her. The one called Yamato quickly blushed and smiled back.  
  
Tomoeda cleared his throat again. "Why don't everyone come up and get an earthworm for every pair?"  
  
Some girls in the class grimaced at the though of touching a dead worm. Tomoeda only chuckled and handed out gloves to everyone.  
  
Once everyone finished reading the procedures, each pair began their journey into unknown worm territory. The earthworms were rather smelly. Kamiya Sonoko's friend went around the classroom spraying perfume. But she came nowhere near Kagome and Inuyasha.  
  
The class was very noisy by now. Everyone was arguing over which partner had the privilege to pin down the worm's head. Tomoeda was walking around checking on everyone's process, he too wouldn't come over to Inuyasha and Kagome's table. Kagome took the chance of interrogating Inuyasha.  
  
"How do you know Tomoeda sensei?" Kagome whispered as low as possible while she took a pin and stabbed it through the poor worm's head. The two girls sitting across from them back away a little as juice squirted out of Kagome's worm.  
  
Inuyasha ignored her. His growl stopped but his eyes were still focused on Tomoeda. He picked up the scalpel and made a smooth cut along the worm's torso without even looking at it. Kagome frowned at Inuyasha's silence and took up some pins and began to pin down the worm's skin so the inside is revealed. But she didn't push further.  
  
Kagome kept on reading the lab sheets. "Now we have to separate each internal organ and pin them down on a cardboard paper and label them." She found the cardboard box and began to draw a grid on it. "Mou, Inuyasha, you can at least help me out here. Inuyasha?" Kagome looked at the hanyou when he didn't answer. His eyes were still on Tomoeda sensei, but there was something different about him.  
  
"Inuyasha, you're turning blue!" Kagome yelled frantically. Inuyasha looked her with some annoyance and didn't move at all. He truly didn't move a single muscle, not even his diaphragm. That's when Kagome noticed it. 'He's not breathing!'  
  
Inuyasha finally couldn't hold in it anymore. He gasped, letting loose some carbon dioxide and began gasping for air. Through his gasps, he managed to stutter: "This.... shit fucking.... stinks!!"  
  
Kagome was relieved. But she also had the urge to sit him. "Baka! I thought something was suffocating you! You had me worried!"  
  
Inuyasha held his nose with his left hand and leaned back, away from the worm. "It stinks so much, Kagome."  
  
Kagome was about to yell at him before she realized that the two girls sitting across from them were giving them pleading looks. She turned her head and asked. "Umm.. Harumi-chan, Yui-chan, what's wrong?"  
  
The girl on the right pointed at their untouched earthworm and complained. "Kagome-chan, can.... can Taisho-kun help us cut open our worm? We don't...."  
  
Inuyasha didn't let them finish their request. While he still held his nose with his left hand, he picked up the scalpel again with his right and made a clean cut on the girls' worm.  
  
Harumi and Yui applauded happily. Inuyasha blushed slightly and turned away with a soft "keh". Kagome grinned. She thought to herself. 'I think he's beginning to like the attention.'  
  
After a small lecture from Kagome, Inuyasha learned to breathe through his mouth at the same time that he's holding his nose shut. (Inuyasha can be so stupid sometimes.) But Kagome was doing most of the work. She looked over the black and white picture of the worm on the lab sheet and tried to locate all the internal organs without avail.  
  
"Ah, Inuyasha, I can't find the esophagus!" Kagome groaned. Inuyasha only shrugged as he pushed his chair back even further.  
  
"We can't find our either, Kagome-chan." Yui cried out as she turned the lab sheet upside down. "Is it the brown looking thing?"  
  
"Mou, Yui-chan, they're all brown looking." Kagome groaned.  
  
Harumi suddenly raised her hand. "Tomoeda sensei, we can't find the esophagus!"  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome both stiffed. Tomoeda sensei glanced over to their table with a slight frown. But finding no way out of it, he walked over, taking as much time as possible.  
  
Tomoeda leaned closer, not looking at Inuyasha. He took the girls' scalpel and pointed at some brown-yellowish thing. "You have to remove the fat first; they're covering most of the organs."  
  
The girls thanked the teacher but Tomoeda said nothing. He began to walk away. Without turning his head, Tomoeda whispered so that only Inuyasha can hear. "Ask to go to the bathroom and meet me outside in the hall."  
  
Inuyasha's fake human ears remained still, but his invisible dog ears shifted on top of his head. "Kagome, I have to go take a leak." He said emotionlessly.  
  
Kagome stared at him suspiciously. But she nodded anyway and let him go. Inuyasha rose with his cringing hands inside his uniform pant pockets and exited the room. He leaned on the hallway wall and waited for Tomoeda to come out.  
  
"Class, I left something in my office, I'll be out for a minute, be good!" Tomoeda gave his lame excuse and exited as well. He gave no care though his class was already throwing worm guts around before he even completely walked out.  
  
Sango took the opportunity of the general mayhem and went to chat with Kagome. But soon she noticed that Kagome wasn't focusing. "Kagome-chan, what's wrong?"  
  
Kagome looked around to make sure that no one was within earshot and whispered to Sango. "Inuyasha says Tomoeda sensei is a youkai, and they apparently know each other."  
  
Sango gasped as the news. "But he looks human. Can he be... Naraku?!"  
  
Kagome stiffed. 'I haven't thought of that. Naraku can change his appearance at will.' She sighed. "I don't think so, if it was Naraku, Inuyasha wouldn't care about everyone in this room and would've chopped him up already."  
  
*~Meanwhile~*  
  
Inuyasha didn't give the man a chance to talk. He grabbed Tomoeda's collars and lifted him up. "Fucking wolf, what the hell are you doing posing as Kagome's teacher?!"  
  
Tomoeda rolled his eyes and pried Inuyasha's fingers off his collars. His feet reached the ground and he straightened his suit. "I'm not posing, Inuyasha, I have a master's degree. And watch your language and behavior. I'm your teacher."  
  
Inuyasha crossed his arms and hissed. "Wolf, explain."  
  
Tomoeda sighed. "If you won't call me by my last name, at least call me Kouga. I see 500 years haven't changed you at all. How come you still look the same? And your manners haven't improved either."  
  
Inuyasha blinked. "Wait, how old are you exactly?"  
  
Tomoeda Kouga patted the place where Inuyasha touched him, as though he has been contaminated. "Considering the fact that you're about 50 years older than me, what do you think?"  
  
Inuyasha growled. "I don't know. Just gimme a number!"  
  
Kouga rolled his eyes. "The last time I saw you I was 107. Add the 500 and some odd years, I'm about 631 years old. But my human ID says I'm 31, since I look like it." Kouga began to stare at Inuyasha with intense fascination. "Which kitsune put that disguise on you? Not only are your dog ears and claws gone, but you don't look a day over 18 in human years. I'd put you at 100 in youkai years too."  
  
Inuyasha sniggered. 'So this is what Kouga would look like in this time. At least he doesn't call me dog face anymore. Should I tell him that I didn't actually live through all these 500 years?' "Why haven't you confronted Kagome?"  
  
Kouga seemed surprised at Inuyasha's question. He didn't answer or quite a while. "At first I wasn't sure if it was really the Kagome I knew. It's been 500 years since I last saw her. Kagome was human, I thought she died. Besides," He lifted his left hand to show Inuyasha the ring on his finger and smirked, "I'm married."  
  
Inuyasha gagged. "MARRIED?!"  
  
Kouga simply shrugged. "Married, mated, same difference. I asked Ayame to be my mate four centuries ago. I have a couple of great-great-great-great- great-grandchildren too. You wanna see their pictures?" Kouga began to take out his thick wallet. "I also have pictures of my cubs, and their cubs, and my cubs' cub's cubs, and their cubs, and...."  
  
"Okay, I get the point!!!" Inuyasha screamed. "So your entire clan mates like rabbits."  
  
Kouga rolled his eyes and put his wallet back into the pocket. "Not rabbits, wolves. But what's going on? Why is Kagome still alive? And what the hell are you doing posing as a high school student? And that taijiya girl too. Wasn't she human as well? How did you all...."  
  
Inuyasha raised his hands to stop him. "We aren't as old as we look. Wolf, argh, Kouga, if I don't go back in now, Kagome will get worried. But I have P.E. and then lunch. I'll come find you during lunch."  
  
Kouga nodded. "Good idea. And if my hearing is correct, someone's currently daring Yutaro-kun to swallow a worm's heart." He turned to open the door. "And Inuyasha, no need waiting for lunch, I'm your P.E. teacher as well."  
  
And so, Kouga went back in to stop a kid from possible stomachache, and he left Inuyasha standing outside, stunned at his words.  
  
'Dammit, he's my P.E. teacher too?!' Inuyasha followed Kouga's steps with a deep frown. Sango had already retreated back to her seat, Inuyasha's seat was unoccupied until he sat back down. The smell of death worms was still bothering him, but he had more on his mind to care about disgusting earthworms.  
  
But Kagome looked worried. "Inuyasha, you talked to Tomoeda sensei, didn't you? Who is he?"  
  
Inuyasha patted Kagome's hand while making sure that nobody saw his gesture. "Stop calling him Tomoeda sensei. Fucking wolf is more like it."  
  
Kagome's eyes were wide open now. There was nobody else in the world that Inuyasha would refer to as "wolf" except for.... "Kouga-kun!!!"  
  
Inuyasha growled. "And stop it with the 'kun'."  
  
Kagome shivered. 'Kouga-kun? Tomoeda sensei is Kouga-kun? No way!' She shifted her body so she can glance at her biology teacher without other people noticing the surprised look on her face. Inuyasha still had her hand in his, and she clutched it with all her energy.  
  
But it seemed as though Kouga heard her saying his name. He turned to her direction, meeting her eyes at the same time. Kouga gave her a nervous smile which made her gulp.  
  
Kagome turned back to Inuyasha. "I don't believe it."  
  
"Well, believe it." Inuyasha scoffed. "And I have him for P.E. Just my luck. I'll have to explain to him why we're here, and why you and Sango are still alive."  
  
The bell rang for the end of both periods of lab. The rest of Kagome's class had lunch, but Inuyasha, being a third grader, was heading toward the locker room to change for gym class. Kouga told him to wait for him by his desk. The room became empty pretty quickly. Sango, Kagome, and Inuyasha were staring at Kouga while he cleaned up the room.  
  
When he was finally done, Kouga was still looking for something to do. It was unnerving for him to see Kagome standing there, the same Kagome he used to obsess over.  
  
"Hey, girls, don't you have class?" Kouga asked nervously as he picked up his dissecting kit.  
  
Sango already heard about the situation from Kagome. Though it was strange, there was no doubt that the man before them was the older version of Kouga from the Sengoku Jidai. "We have lunch." Sango replied dryly.  
  
"Oh, okay." Kouga led the three out the classroom. "Well, Inuyasha and I are heading to P.E."  
  
"Sango-chan, I don't think I can eat anything." Kagome said to Sango with a sick look on her face.  
  
Sango nodded in agreement. "I don't think I want to eat either after that whole worm ordeal."  
  
Kouga was slightly numbed. "Well, okay. Then would you girls like to come to the school yard and observe the gym class?"  
  
Inuyasha frowned. "Dammit, Kouga, stop calling them 'girls' like you're older or something."  
  
They continued to walk down the hallway, which seemed pretty empty now that the bell has rung for quite a while. "I AM older, Inuyasha. But I'll stop, it's just habit."  
  
"Umm, Inuyasha, me and Sango-chan are going to the school yard while you change." Kagome grabbed Sango's arm and began to turn away. "I'll see you later."  
  
Sango smirked as Kagome dragged her down the stairs at the speed of light. "Feeling a little awkward?"  
  
Kagome sighed. "Wouldn't you? And can you believe Kouga-kun, I mean, Tomoeda sensei is married to Ayame-chan?"  
  
Sango laughed aloud. "Well, it was you or Ayame-chan. And since you disappeared..."  
  
Kagome hit Sango playfully. They've reached the schoolyard now. The third grade girls' gym class was by the other end of the school yard. The boys and girls were at opposite ends. Except for some schools, girls all wore uniforms for gym class that revealed their thighs. And with all the hormone- driven high school boys around, it's quite necessary to separate the two fields with a grass field and fences.  
  
Kagome led Sango toward the boys' gym field, only to find Mikagi Toji there.  
  
Kagome nudged at Sango and pointed at Toji, who had his backs to them and was chatting with some other girls that were watching them just like Kagome and Sango. "Sango-chan, that's him, that's Mikagi Toji."  
  
Sango stared at Toji for quite a while. Finally she nodded. "This would be a good chance to study how he fights and his strengths."  
  
"People these days don't really have different ways of fighting. They just throw punches. But I heard that Mikagi Toji has been taking Karate ever since he was little. So I guess he has to be pretty strong."  
  
Sango smiled at her calmly. "Hey, if all else fails, we can always have Miroku suck him up with Kazaana."  
  
Just before Kagome was going to protest any ideas of hurting Toji, Miroku's head popped out behind the fence. "Did I hear someone say my name?"  
  
Kagome and Sango were startled for a second but they settled down quickly. They ignored his question.  
  
"Houshi-sa..." Sango stopped herself before finishing, "Houshi-kun, guess who your gym teacher is."  
  
Miroku smiled in that sly way of his. "Kouga." His grin got wider as he saw the surprised looks on the girls' faces. "I saw him and Inuyasha in the locker room. They filled me in. And we also filled him in on why we're here. Kagome-san, Kouga's concerned about this as well."  
  
Tomoeda sensei, or Kouga stepped onto the field and blew his whistle. "Oh, gotta go!" Miroku waved cheerfully as he ran to his appointed spot. Kouga was taking attendance. Soon a very grumpy Inuyasha in shorts stepped out as well and went to stand behind Miroku. Apparently Kouga had to borrow some girl's pink hair band and have Inuyasha tie his hair up.  
  
"Umm... Kagome-chan," Sango was sweating and gulping nervously.  
  
"Sango-chan, what's wrong?"  
  
Sango stifled a laugh. "What is Houshi-sama wearing?"  
  
Kagome looked over to Miroku, but couldn't find anything wrong with his attire. "Just regular gym cloths, Sango-chan. What's wrong?"  
  
Sango couldn't hold it in anymore. She was shaking with laughter. "He... he has... hairy legs!"  
  
Kagome looked over to Miroku with some mild surprise. Soon she began to laugh as well. Not at the amount of hair on Miroku's legs (which wasn't much compared to Kouga's), Kagome was actually laughing at Sango's reason of cracking up.  
  
While the girls were over there laughing their hearts out, Inuyasha was focusing on Mikagi Toji, who was standing on the other side of the line, looking bored now that he can't talk to girls. A single thought was floating around Inuyasha's mind.  
  
'He must die!'  
  
And die he will, just not today.  
  
Kouga, or Tomoeda sensei glazed at Mikagi Toji as the class did their warm- ups. 'So he dared to hurt Kagome-chan.'  
  
*****Flashback (in the boy's locker room) *****  
  
Miroku was changing into his shorts. The locker room was empty. Inuyasha and Kouga were having a staring contest. Now that they've finished their story, Kouga was looking angry.  
  
After a long moment of silence, Kouga finally stood up, grabbing his attendance book and whistle. "I can't do anything about Mikagi Toji. His father is technically my boss."  
  
Inuyasha growled at him. "I knew it. You were always running away."  
  
Kouga was really angry now. He grabbed Inuyasha's collar and growled back. "Let me finish, dog-face!" He released Inuyasha and sighed. "Inuyasha, this time is not as simple as the Sengoku Jidai. You can't just go around hurting people and expects to get away with it. So even if you want to hurt Mikagi Toji, you can't do it without getting into trouble."  
  
Inuyasha barked back. "I don't give a crap! That fucking bastard hurt Kagome! You should've seen how her arm bled. They fucking threatened to kill her!!!"  
  
"I know, you told me already!!" Kouga howled. "And dammit, she's my student and I worry about her too!! Inuyasha, you never think about the consequences of your actions. You can't hurt Mikagi Toji without getting both you and Kagome into trouble. And not to mention your other friends!"  
  
Miroku left them to argue and went to take a leak in the adjacent bathroom.  
  
"I don't want to hurt the bastard." Inuyasha was turning red. "I wanna fucking kill him! I wanna cut both he and his bitchy little sister to pieces!"  
  
Kouga looked around worriedly, even though his senses already assured him that no one else was around. He turned back to face Inuyasha. "Look, Inuyasha, you can't kill him. If you want to hurt him, I'll help you, but there's no way I'll let you kill him."  
  
Inuyasha felt much better after hearing that Kouga will help him. "Fine, I won't kill him. But I'm gonna hurt him, bad. So how are you gonna help me?"  
  
Kouga groaned slightly. 'I'm supposed to be a teacher.' He sighed before answering. "I am your gym teacher too, don't forget that. And Inuyasha, people get injured in gym class all the time."  
  
Inuyasha blinked, but he caught on quickly. For the very first time in more than 500 years, the two shook hands.  
  
*****End Flashback*****  
  
Kouga sighed inwardly as he blew his whistle to signal the students to line up again. 'I am going to regret doing this. And I'm supposed to be a teacher, too.'  
  
Behind Miroku, Inuyasha chuckled evilly. 'Let the fun begin!'  
  
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REVIEW!!!!!


	6. Showdown: It Has Just Begun

Disclaimer:  
  
Mizu in straitjacket, locked in a cell with no light, singing: "I own Inuyasha, I own Inuyasha."  
  
Sesshy walks by the cell door, looks in: "that girl is absolutely insane." :p  
   
  
^_~  
  
**Chapter 6: Showdown: It Has Just Begun**  
  
"Since we have two new students with us today, I thought we'd do something new." Kouga/Tomoeda sensei looked around and sought out two students. "Ken- kun, Marusato-kun, can you go to the equipment room and bring out some mats?"  
  
Two very buff looking third graders nodded and went away.  
  
"As you all know," Kouga continued, "I'm an expert on Kendo. But I also have some experience in fighting, oh, I mean Karate. So I thought I'd teach you guys Karate today."  
  
Some guys cheered, a few wimpy looking guys yelped. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at Kouga. 'Karate? What the fuck is Kouga doing? I don't know how to do Karate. I just fight.'  
  
Standing far from Inuyasha, Mikagi Toji grinned at his friends.  
  
"Who knows some Karate?" Kouga asked the class, and out of the thirty or so boys, at least ten raised their hands, including all of Toji's nasty looking friends. However, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Toji all kept their hands down.  
  
"Wow, that's a lot of people." Kouga remarked. He noticed that Toji's hand wasn't up, and Kouga knew nothing of Toji being a black belt. 'Okay, Inuyasha, I'm giving you the chance, hurt him.'  
  
The two boys from earlier came back, each carrying folded up mats. While they were spreading the mats out on the ground, the word got out that Tomoeda sensei's class was practicing Karate. And since all of first grade had lunch that period, most of them came to watch.  
  
"I'm dividing you guys into groups of two." Kouga announced. Everyone was heating up. "The experienced ones will go first, to show those who don't know some example. Okay," He began to read of a list he made of those who knows Karate. "Touya-kun, you're up first against Sano-kun. You both know Karate, right?"  
  
Two strong looking boys stepped up. They were both just talking with Toji, apparently they were part of Toji's gang. Toji nodded to them as if giving them consent, and they headed toward the mats.  
  
"What's Kouga up to?" Sango asked absent-mindedly as she watched Touya and Sano bow.  
  
Kagome shrugged. Suddenly, three familiar voices called out to her. "Kagome- chan!"  
  
Kagome froze. Slowly and painfully, she turned her head to smile at her three friends. "Ayumi-chan, Yuka-chan, Emi-chan, aren't you guys going to eat lunch?"  
  
Yuka smiled. "We were waiting for you in the back but you didn't show up."  
  
Ayumi nodded to Sango, noting that they've already met. "Where's that cut looking guy, Kagome-chan? You know, the one with the ponytail."  
  
Sango sweat-dropped. 'She thinks Houshi-sama's cute? People in this time have weird tastes.'  
  
Kagome chuckled shyly. "Um, he's in that gym class right now." She pointed to the fenced area where Touya had just successfully beaten Sano.  
  
"O yea, we heard that Tomoeda sensei was having a Karate lesson." Emi finally spoke.  
  
Kagome nodded and introduced Sango to Emi and Yuka. There were so many people around now that the five girls were being pushed up against the fence.  
  
"Sango-chan," Kagome suddenly shivered. She tugged on Sango's sleeve and pointed to a group of first graders across from them. They were far away so they didn't notice Kagome. One of the girls in that group, Sango recognized, was Kamiya Sonoko.  
  
Kagome pointed to a girl with long, straight hair and green eyes. She was observing the match with a bored expression. Even though the area around the field was pretty crowded, all the people around her gave her space, a lot of space. She leaned on the low fence casually with a smirk on her face. Kamiya Sonoko was talking heatedly next to her.  
  
Sango didn't like her. Even though she was wearing the standard uniform, somehow she managed to get one that's too small for her. The skirt was pulled down below her waist, the top was too high. The uniform revealed her bellybutton perfectly.  
  
"Is that...?" Sango trailed off. But Kagome read her mind and nodded.  
  
"Mikagi Akiko. She's always coming here during lunch to watch her brother's gym class." Kagome growled annoyingly. Her eyes sent poisonous darts at the girl. "She flirts with every single one of her brother's friends."  
  
Sango studied Akiko further. She was wearing a moderate amount of makeup, and she didn't look all that bad. Akiko's eyes were shining in the sunlight. Even though she was wearing a smirk, there was something strange in the girl's eyes, something Sango didn't expect to see: Sadness.  
  
^_~  
  
Meanwhile, three matches were already done. So far, only the ones that already know Karate went. And two boys were hurt pretty badly. Kouga's heart twitched every time one of his students fell. When someone's nose bled, Kouga had a strong urge to stop the lesson. But one look at the scowling Inuyasha, and all of his regrets flew out the yard.  
  
Inuyasha was getting impatient. 'Wolf, I get the fucking point. So I can't fight like I always do, just let me fight him already!' But Kouga still had two more pairs of experienced fighters to go.  
  
"Next, Miroku-kun and Marusato-kun!" Kouga called off his list. "You both are beginners, but after seeing all those matches, you should get an idea. Let me just see how you both do."  
  
The whole time Miroku was actually off on the side chatting with some first grade girls. When Kouga suddenly called his name, he had no idea what was going on. But he shrugged it off and jogged toward the mats.  
  
Marusato was big. There was no other way to describe it. He was simply big. In fact, he looked as though he weighted at least 200 pounds more than Miroku. And when Miroku was standing before him, he was only up to the guy's chest.  
  
The monk grimaced. He cursed at Kouga silently for pairing him up with this hulk of meat. Unexpectedly, as soon as Miroku and Marusato bowed to each other and got into fighting poses, the girls he was talking to before started to cheer. 'That's more like it.' Miroku smiled and turned his head slightly to give the girls a wink.  
  
Not far from him, a very pissed off Sango was steaming.  
  
But just as Miroku turned, Marusato took the chance and threw a punch.  
  
Not for nothing, Miroku has been in training for most of his life, and he even faired against Inuyasha pretty well. He didn't need to look to know that the guy would try a sneak attack.  
  
Miroku threw up his kazaana hand and blocked the attack. Next he did a perfect back flip to gain some distance. Not only that, as he did his back flip, his feet conveniently made contact with Marusato's chin.  
  
The crowd was raving.  
  
Marusato was only hurt slightly. He backed off a few steps and growled at Miroku. The monk saw his expression and simply smiled.  
  
Sango's heart almost stopped. Back in the Sengoku Jidai, Sango is always fighting at the same time as Miroku. So she never had the chance to observe his skills. And this meant she never had to chance to see how confident Miroku looked when he's fighting.  
  
Miroku didn't let his guard down. 'This guy is big, slow but big. Simple punches and kicks won't hurt him.' Miroku copied one of the fighters from earlier and went into a fighting stance. He tugged on the beads around his right hand a little tighter and waited for Marusato to charge at him.  
  
Inuyasha stood with the other guys, arms crossed. He shook his head as Marusato charged toward Miroku. 'That big loaf doesn't stand a chance against Miroku.'  
  
Marusato's arm reached for Miroku's left eye. The monk made no movements until his hand was about to make contact with his face. Then, without shifting his feet, Miroku turned his upper body 90 degrees and dodged the punch. Next Miroku grabbed Marusato's outreached arm. Finally, while still holding that arm with one hand, Miroku turning 180 degrees and threw Marusato's body over his shoulder.  
  
The crowd was going crazy.  
  
Marusato's body landed on the mats with a loud thud. He was definitely hurt, but still conscious. Miroku was just about to let go of his arm when he noticed healing teeth marks on Marusato's hand.  
  
---Flashback---  
  
Now panicking, Kagome started to struggle more against the body that was holding her. Finally she resolved to animalistic strategy - biting. With all the strength in her jaws, Kagome bit down on the hand that was closed around her mouth.  
  
---End Flashback---  
  
'Wait, didn't Kagome-sama mention something about biting the guy that was holding her?' Miroku's mind flashed back to when Kagome retold them about the first encounter with the bullies. Miroku's eyes opened wide at this sudden revelation. He whispered quietly, but loud enough for Inuyasha and Kouga's ears: "This guy was with Toji when Kagome-sama got hurt."  
  
Inuyasha's body stiffened. He was just about to rush toward Marusato and give him a piece of his mind. But Miroku whispered again: "Leave him to me."  
  
Inuyasha heard the sincerity in Miroku's tone and remained standing. 'Hurt him bad, Miroku.'  
  
Miroku stood up and backed away, giving Marusato the time to stand and to regain his posture. But the big guy was still groaning about his back.  
  
"Marusato, stand up!" A voice yelled out. Everyone turned quiet and searched around for the voice. It came from Mikagi Toji. "C'mon, get him!"  
  
It was the first time that Sango noticed Mikagi Toji's facial features. Just like his sister, Toji had those green eyes. His hair was spiked up with too much gel. But no matter how much Sango tried to hate him, she also couldn't stop thinking that Toji was actually quite handsome. He was standing cross armed, in a pose that was a lot like Inuyasha's. At least ten other guys were crowding around him. They were all cheering for Marusato earlier. But as soon as Toji began to speak, everyone, including the crowd outside the fence, quieted down.  
  
Marusato nodded as he heard Toji's voice. He grunted a few times before lifting himself up from the mat. Like a biker, Marusato cracked his neck and knuckles.  
  
Miroku smiled.  
  
Marusato also got into a fighting stance. Miroku knew the pose, he was expecting Miroku to attack him this time. 'Well, if that's what you want.' Miroku charged.  
  
In a flash, Miroku's right hand flew up in an uppercut, aiming at Marusato's chin. But Marusato saw it coming. Just as Miroku's hand went out, Marusato shifted his body and went around Miroku in a half circle. Now Marusato was behind Miroku.  
  
Marusato opened his arms wide, hoping to catch Miroku in a chokehold. But Miroku was too fast for him. He bent his knees slightly and turned around to face Marusato's stomach. With a smile, Miroku aimed a punch at Marusato's stomach.  
  
The crowd was silent. Then, with Kagome and her friends as lead, it exploded with cheers and applauds. The punch Miroku gave threw Marusato completely backwards. The big loaf landed on the mat a few feet away from Miroku. And it didn't look like he was going to get up anytime soon.  
  
Miroku wasn't even sweating. He turned sideways to face Kagome and Sango. And with that same smile, he gave them a thumb-up and a wink.  
  
^_~  
  
But perhaps it would be better if he hadn't done that. Everyone's attention shifted toward Kagome and Sango as Miroku winked at the two, including the Mikagi siblings.  
  
"Wow, that guy with the ponytail isn't bad." Mikagi Akiko remarked to Kamiya Sonoko. "And not bad looking either, not at all."  
  
Sonoko growled slightly. "He's in a lot of my classes. But he's also the Higurashi bitch's friend."  
  
Akiko froze; her smile was gone as soon as she saw Miroku give a thumb-up and a wink to Kagome's direction. "She's here too."  
  
Sonoko narrowed her eyes. "And so is her new boyfriend."  
  
Akiko raised an eyebrow. "Her new boyfriend? What do you mean? I thought she was going out with Hojo-kun."  
  
"Weren't you listening, Akiko-chan, I been talking about it since the period started." Sonoko cried out desperately. "He made fun of me in the hallway!"  
  
Akiko frowned. "Which one is he?"  
  
Sonoko pointed at Inuyasha, who was currently patting Miroku on the shoulder to congratulate him. "That white haired freak."  
  
Akiko's eyes widened. "He's a hottie!" Her smile returned.  
  
Sonoko snorted. "Yea, I know. And Higurashi has him. It's not fair."  
  
Akiko's smile widened. "She can have Hojo. I want that guy." She took out her makeup mirror and put on more lipstick.  
  
"I already told you, Akiko-chan, he's Kagome's boyfriend."  
  
Akiko laughed. "But don't forget, I'm Mikagi Toji's little sister."  
  
^_~  
  
"Whoa, did you see that?!"  
  
"Yea, and with just one punch he knocked Marusato off his feet!"  
  
"And he's a beginner too!"  
  
"Wow, he's so hot!!!"  
  
"I wonder if he's single."  
  
And so, the conversation between the bystanders changed from admiration of Miroku's fighting skills to titles of love letters the girls plan on writing to him.  
  
Sango was no longer smiling. 'Argh, that showoff! He just did it to impress all the girls! He didn't have to hit the guy that hard.'  
  
"Sugoi!" Kagome was cheering. "I hate to say this, but Inuyasha was right, revenge is sweet!" There was something devilish in Kagome's eyes.  
  
Sango turned her attention to Kagome. "What are you talking about, Kagome- chan?"  
  
Kagome clapped. "Marusato is Toji's right hand man. Even though he doesn't Karate, he's a really strong fighter. I bet he was with Toji when they ambushed me."  
  
"Ooo!" Sango gasped. 'So that must be why Houshi-sama went all out on him. Okay then, I guess I'll let this one slip.'  
  
"Wow, Kagome-chan, your friend is a really good fighter!" Ayumi was beaming. Kagome saw the expression on Sango's face and decided not to say anything.  
  
Kouga looked at his wrist watch and noticed that there were only ten minutes left in the period. If they needed five to change, that means there's only enough time for one or two matches. 'Maybe I should stall longer. It won't take long for Inuyasha to take Toji if the guy's a beginner.'  
  
But Inuyasha was getting beyond irritated. Under his breath, Inuyasha whispered so only Kouga can hear: "What are you waiting for, wolf?"  
  
Kouga sighed in resignation. "Next up," His voice silenced the crowds, "Mikagi Toji versus Taisho Inuyasha!"  
  
(A/N: I had full intention of ending it here. But I really don't want all those death threats to become more than just threats. So I'll be a good little girl and continue.)  
  
Toji smirked. His friends around them cheered for him.  
  
"Beat the crap out of him, Toji!"  
  
"Yea, show them who you are, Toji!"  
  
Calmly, Mikagi Toji walked onto the center of the mat and waited for this Taisho Inuyasha person. 'Isn't he the new kid? Well, then, let this be a welcome warning.' Then he noticed his little sister standing in the crowds, sticking out like usual. He made a funny face at her. She smiled back.  
  
"Why didn't Toji-kun raise his hands when Tomoeda sensei asked who knew Karate?" Sonoko mumbled to no one in perticular. "I thought he was a black belt."  
  
Akiko snorted next to her arrogantly. "Ani has been taking Karate since he was three. He doesn't like to fight personally. He has Marusato and the gang to do his fighting. If he raised his hand, Tomoeda sensei would've called on him to go first."  
  
Akiko's eyes were focused on Inuyasha. The white-haired boy with the violet eyes was looking angry for some unknown reason. 'This should be interesting. Onii-chan, don't hurt him too bad.'  
  
^_~  
  
Just as Inuyasha was about to go up to face Toji, Miroku pulled him back a bit and whispered into his fake ears: "Don't get too angry. Don't forget, Tessaiga is in the locker room at the moment. Go easy on him, killing him will bring trouble."  
  
Inuyasha growled to show that he knows what he was doing. Miroku let him go with some hesitation.  
  
The crowd was silent with anticipation. Kagome and Sango were gripping the fence until their knuckles turned white.  
  
Kouga sighed for the last time. There was no going back now. Toji was facing his sister. Inuyasha was facing Kagome. The two were about the size and height. On Kouga's whistle, the two bowed slightly to each other.  
  
Toji was rising slowly from his bow, not giving much care into his opponent. But Inuyasha has been waiting for that moment for three days now. Like lightning, Inuyasha fist went out, aiming for Toji's chest.  
  
Toji was caught by surprise. He hasn't expected his opponent to attack so suddenly. But being the experienced fighter he was, he managed to shift away before Inuyasha's fist made impact.  
  
Inuyasha's punch missed, and he was certainly very surprised. 'This bastard's not a beginner at all!'  
  
Toji was surprised as well. 'He's fast, I barely managed to dodge that one.'  
  
And at that moment, one single thought was in everyone's minds: 'This is going to be good.'  
  
Toji smirked arrogantly. He waved his hands, signaling Inuyasha to attack him. Inuyasha's no coward. He lunged forward with his right hand, this time, for Toji's face.  
  
Toji shifted his head sideways with his hands behind his back. Inuyasha's fist passed by the front of his eyes and the hanyou withdrew quickly. Toji's head went back to normal position. Wasting no time or energy, Inuyasha directed his left hand this time at the same spot. Toji turned his head sideways again.  
  
And the same process went on. Inuyasha attacked continuously, shifting between left and right hands. Toji dodged all of his attacks perfectly, with his hands behind his back no less. Their movement was so fast that the audiences dared not blink.  
  
Inuyasha was getting irritated. With an audible growl, he threw out both hands at once. Not expecting the change of strategy, Toji wasn't able to dodge that one completely, and his right cheek was slightly scratched.  
  
Toji rubbed his cheek with a smile. "Hey, not bad. What was your name again? Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha smirked back, his arms at his sides. "Shut up and fight seriously."  
  
Toji sighed and shook his head. "It's just gym class, Inuyasha-san. But," Toji got into a fighting stance, "I never backed down from a challenge before."  
  
Inuyasha remained in the same pose. "Good, neither have I."  
  
Toji charged forward with a prepared right hook, aiming at Inuyasha's left cheek. Inuyasha used the same tactic Miroku used before. He stood his ground, but turned his upper body 90 degrees so that Toji's fist zoomed past in front of his eyes.  
  
Inuyasha didn't give Toji the time to withdraw. He grabbed Toji's fist with both hands, turning his entire body so that his back faced Toji's front, and threw Toji over his shoulder.  
  
The crowd froze, they anticipated the heavy thud.  
  
But it never came. Unlike Marusato, Toji was an experienced Karate fighter. Instead of landing painfully on his back, Toji bent his knees so his feet landed first. He created a perfect bridge, using Inuyasha as support for his hands.  
  
The crowd howled. Kouga took another look at his watch. 'Three more minutes. Dammit, I should've realized that Toji wasn't a beginner.'  
  
Still in bridge position, Toji made a 180-degree turn and straightened his back. Now the two were face to face. More like smiling face to scowling face.  
  
'Dammit!' Inuyasha was very pissed off. 'Looks like I'll have to tap into my youkai powers.' He let go of Toji's fist and backed off two steps.  
  
Toji smiled at him more. "Arigatoo, Inuyasha-san, for supporting my bridge, otherwise, I would've fell on my back."  
  
Inuyasha looked like he was about to explode. He could hear Miroku's voice just faintly over the cheers: "Inuyasha, be calm."  
  
Inuyasha took a deep breath, calming his heart rate. Toji was in fighting position once again. This time, Inuyasha copied him.  
  
The crowd was cheering louder and louder. The two opponents were both waiting for the other one to strike first. Kouga was counting down to the minute of when this would be over. Kagome and Sango were holding their breaths. Akiko held that same sinister grin.  
  
"What's going on here?!" An angry voice boomed over the field. Everyone stopped their cheering and turned to the source of the voice.  
  
Kouga gulped. "Principal Tanaka! What uh... what brings you here?"  
  
A short man with a beard in his fifties stomped over to face Kouga. "Tomoeda sensei, what is the meaning of this?!?" He was pissed.  
  
Kouga stuttered. "Uh... um... it's just a simple demonstration of Karate, Principal Tanaka."  
  
The principal narrowed his eyes. He looked around and saw the injured students from earlier, including Marusato and the guy with the bleeding nose.  
  
"'A simple demonstration'?! Tomoeda sensei, this is preposterous! This is brutal! This is unacceptable on school grounds! What were you thinking?! This is...." He never got to finish his sentence.  
  
"This is none of your business, Principal Tanaka." Toji was back with his buddies, leaving Inuyasha standing in the middle of the mat alone.  
  
The principal turned around and saw Toji's smiling face. He gulped. "Mikagi- kun, this kind of 'demonstrations' are not allowed in gym classes."  
  
Toji scratched his head with a fake frown. "Really, it isn't? Well, I guess I'll have to ask my father to change the rules a bit."  
  
There was a definite tension in the air. Sango tugged on Kagome's sleeve and whispered a question.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
Kagome's eyes remained focused on the principal. "If the principal backs down, he'll lose his authority over the students. But he can't exactly send Toji to detention; otherwise he'll lose his job. Mikagi Toji's father controls the entire school system in Tokyo."  
  
Sango nodded half-understandingly.  
  
Seeing that this was getting them nowhere, Kouga stepped up. In an apologetic tone, he pleaded to the principal: "I'm sorry, Principal Tanaka. I was just trying something new. But this won't happen again."  
  
Kouga was actually helping the principal finding an escape route. Tanaka took the chance and grunted. He left the gym field without another word.  
  
Kouga exhaled in relief. "Okay, class over. Go get changed!" Kouga was tired. Even though he didn't do anything, the mental stress was enough. He didn't even give instructions on putting the mats back to the equipment room, and just left with an audible sigh.  
  
Inuyasha stared at the back of the principal, hating the man for interrupting his fight. But Toji's voice grabbed his attention.  
  
"Inuyasha-san. Not bad. I hope we'll get a chance to continue out fight another day." Toji smirked for the last time and headed back to the locker room. His gang of goons followed closely behind. As Marusato passed by Miroku, he gave the monk a shove. Miroku just kept on smiling.  
  
The crowd was next to go. Since the period was coming to a close as well.  
  
"C'mon, Kagome-chan, Sango-chan, we have gym ourselves now." Ayumi ran off after Yuka and Emi.  
  
Kagome and Sango hesitated. But tardiness meant dealing with the horrors of Mikagi sensei: Their gym teacher and the Mikagi siblings' evil aunt. The girls in her class have dubbed the woman "Satan's wife", they weren't far off from the truth.  
  
And so, with a last glance at the grinning Miroku and fuming Inuyasha, the two girls rushed to their locker rooms.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------  
REVIEW!!!!!!!!


	7. Pushups, Ropes, and a Painting

Disclaimer:

  
Santa Claus: Ho ho ho, what do you want for Christmas this year, little MizuCrystal?  
  
Mizu: Inuyasha and Fluffy-chan!!!!  
  
Santa: What are you going to do to Inuyasha and Fluffy-chan?  
  
Mizu: *evil face* Make them my sex slaves!!! Bwahahahahaha!!!  
  
Santa: *frowns* Hey, that was my plan! *Mizu faints*  
  
And by the way, Santa's not gay. (I hope. Hey, that rhymed!) Okay, where was I...  
  
^_~

**Chapter 7: Pushups, Ropes, and a Painting**  
  
"Chill out, Inuyasha, cool down." Miroku patted his friend on the back while the two walked toward their art room.  
  
Inuyasha was still upset from the outcome of the match earlier with Toji. He was walking with his briefcase under his left arm, both hands in his pant pockets. Inuyasha swatted Miroku's hand away and barked, "My body temperature's perfect!"  
  
Miroku scoffed. "No, 'chill out', it means to relax." The monk shook his head. "You've been here way longer than I have, how can you not know any of the modern slang?"  
  
"Fuck you!!" Inuyasha gave Miroku the middle finger.  
  
The monk shook his head. "Out of all the things you could've learned..." He didn't finish the sentence. "Oh, and I don't go that way. What was that expression again? Oh yea, sorry, but I'm straight as a stick."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Miroku just continued to talk. "The day I go any other way is the day the sun comes out from the west, the day that Naraku and I become best friends, the day you and Kagome-sama get together..."  
  
Inuyasha stopped walking. "What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?!?"  
  
Miroku shrugged with that same smile pasted on his face. He opened the door to their art class and went in with an "exactly what you think it means."  
  
Toji and his gang were already sitting in their seats. The entire class was talking heatedly; the boys were filling the girls in on what happened in gym class. As soon as Miroku stepped in, everyone turned quiet and looked at him.  
  
Miroku's grin got wider. He bowed dramatically to the area where most girls sat at. "Hello again, my charming ladies, separation from you in P.E. was more than I can bear." He gave them a wink and went to sit on a stool right next to the window. All the girls blushed and giggled. Next to Toji, Marusato was holding an ice pack to his neck and growling as fiercely as Inuyasha could.  
  
Inuyasha followed with an angry frown. Toji's scent invaded his nostrils before he even stepped in. It was not doing any good for his blood. Inuyasha quickly clutched the Tessaiga in disguise and went to sit on a stool next to Miroku.  
  
Toji ignored Inuyasha's deadly stares. He dabbed his paint brush in paint and started to draw on his canvas. The teacher was not yet there.  
  
Inuyasha was growling, staring, and cursing inside his own head at Mikagi Toji. He completely forgot the hentai monk next to him... until Miroku jabbed him hard in the ribcages.  
  
"What the hell, Miroku?!" Inuyasha grasped his chest and gasped for air.  
  
Miroku didn't seem to notice his friend's pain. He was looking outside the window (they're on the third floor) and pointing at the athletic field, the girls' athletic field.  
  
"Inuyasha, look, half naked girls!!!" Imagine an 8-year-old with a bad sweet-tooth looking at an all-you-can-eat candy store. That's what Miroku was like at the moment. In fact, Inuyasha could almost swear that Miroku was drooling all over the windowsill.  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes; he refused to sink to the monk's level. But the monk was "generous" enough to share his discovery. Miroku grabbed Inuyasha's neck in a chokehold under his armpit and forced Inuyasha to look outside along with him.  
  
"Shit, Miroku, let go of my head, you fucking smell like crap!!!" Inuyasha struggled under Miroku's arm, neither noticed that their teacher has entered the room and was right behind them, and that the entire class was watching them with the exception of Mikagi Toji.  
  
Miroku's eyes were literately gleaming. "Look at what they're wearing!" All the girls were wearing gym uniforms, and the bottom part of Japanese female gym uniforms looked like briefs. Of course, all the modern boys were used to it. But to Miroku, it's like the kazaana had just sucked him up, and he has entered a pervert's nirvana.  
  
"Hey, I remember those girls!" Miroku pointed at a bunch of girls in the field doing warm-ups. "They were first-graders that were watching our matches in P.E. Hey, I wonder if Kagome-sama and my sweet Sango are going to be there too."  
  
"Nani!?" Inuyasha practically shouted. He broke out of Miroku's chokehold and leaned over to cover Miroku's eyes. "Don't look at Kagome!"  
  
Miroku struggled. He leaned away from Inuyasha and still kept his eyes out on the field. "I'm not looking for Kagome-sama. I'm looking for my dear Sango. Besides, I don't even see them yet."  
  
Inuyasha leaned over more to try to block Miroku's view. "Yea right, and you expect me to believe that?"  
  
"Inuyasha, I'm just trying to get a good look at Sango without going unconscious." Miroku leaned back more.  
  
Now, as mentioned earlier, this was art class, and they sat on high stools, with paint everywhere in the classroom. And is it a good idea to be playing "let's try to cover the perverted monk's eyes" during such a class? Answer: no.  
  
They fell. Simple as that. Miroku and Inuyasha both leaned too much and their stools gave away. Inuyasha collapsed right on top of Miroku, sending their canvas and paint pallets flying. Now Inuyasha and Miroku are in a position where any two straight guys would not want to be caught under. And their art teacher had just received a free multi-colored hair dye.  
  
No one said anything for a long while.  
  
"I'm sorry Inuyasha," Miroku patted Inuyasha's back, the hanyou was still on top of him, "I already have my darling Sango. And I thought I already told you, I don't go that way." Miroku said out loud. Inuyasha had every intention of knocking Miroku out. But he simply stood up and righted his stool. Miroku followed. As soon as the two stood up and fixed themselves, they noticed everyone's stares and their colorful teacher standing right in front of them.  
  
"Oops."  
  
*****Meanwhile*****  
  
"Be careful of Mikagi sensei, Sango." Kagome handed Sango her spare gym uniform before changing into her own. "Not only is she the Mikagi siblings' aunt, but she used to be an army sergeant. She's hard on everyone except for Akiko and her friends."  
  
Sango nodded, not really concerned about an older woman. She held the bottom part of the uniform in her hands and grimaced. "Kagome-chan," Sango turned to Kagome with a pleading face, "please tell me we're having the gym class indoors."  
  
Kagome grinned at her friend. "Don't worry, Sango-chan, everyone's used to it, nobody peeps on a girls' gym class."  
  
Sango gave her friend a deadpan look. "You know who I'm worried about, Kagome-chan."  
  
'Good point.' Kagome sweat-dropped. "But Inuyasha and Miroku have Art right now, they can't see us." But a little voice in her head questioned: 'can they?' Kagome shook the thought away. "Besides, Inuyasha will keep Miroku's wandering eyes away."  
  
"What if Inuyasha decides to look as well?" Sango smirked at her friend.  
  
Kagome grinned evilly, rolled her fists, and said two words which sent a chill down Sango's spine. "They die."  
  
Sango giggled nervously. 'Kagome-chan... can be scary sometimes.'  
  
"Kagome-chan, Sango-chan, let's go!" Yuka's head popped out of the bathroom.  
  
"Hai!" The two girls chimed simultaneously. Sango put on her "indecent" uniform and allowed herself to be dragged outside.  
  
Sango looked around as soon as they got outside. Just like Inuyasha and Miroku's gym class, it's a combination of three regular classes. So that meant all of Kagome's friends and her enemies are there. There were no boys in sight. Sango sighed in relief at that. The girls' gym field is just opposite of the boys'; the two fields are separated by fences and a large grass field. But the girls' field was slightly smaller, and the fences were definitely higher.  
  
Some girls were doing warm-ups, stretching and running in place. But Sango noticed Akiko talking to a buff, tall, middle-aged woman, who was presumably Mikagi sensei, Akiko and Toji's beloved auntie.  
  
As Kagome and Sango approached the teacher, Akiko noticed them. The girl flashed them a suspicious grin and went to join her friends. Mikagi sensei turned around to greet the "new girl".  
  
Sango gasped. She's never seen just a strong looking woman before, certainly not in the Sengoku Jidai. Mikagi sensei was a woman around 40, though she had not a single strand of white hair. She was tall; probably well over 7-feet. And she must've weighted at least 250 pounds. She wore an angry frown on her face, and it seemed to Sango that this woman had never smiled in her life before. Mikagi sensei's attire was a simple gym teacher's uniform, shirt and shorts. But the exposed parts of her body were bulging with muscles. For the very first time in her life, Sango found herself to be scared of a woman.  
  
Sango gulped and bowed politely. She greeted the grumpy looking teacher and introduced herself.  
  
For the next minute, the entire class stopped to watch the silence Mikagi sensei was giving Sango. The youkai exterminator looked back and tried to hide her fear. 'I can't let her get to me.' Sango told herself. 'This silence is just a test.'  
  
But she was wrong. Mikagi sensei finally stopped being quiet. She pointed at the shiny bracelet around Sango's wrist, the one that Kagome saw Sango wear in the Sengoku Jidai but never found out where it came from.  
  
The mammoth woman grunted. "You're not supposed to wear jewelry in gym class. I'll have to confiscate it."  
  
Kagome slapped herself mentally for not warning Sango the rules. 'That's why she was studying Sango so intently. She was trying to find something wrong with her!'  
  
Sango froze. She instinctively took a step back and covered the bracelet with her other hand. 'Why is she picking on me? I just got here!'  
  
"Give it here, maggot!" Mikagi sensei shouted. She advanced on Sango and grabbed her arm. Sango almost cried out in pain, her other arm swung about in reflex and hit the teacher square on the head.  
  
Everyone stopped moving. Not far from Sango and Kagome, Akiko and Sonoko were smirking.  
  
After she recovered from the slap, Mikagi sensei got angry, really angry. 'I was only doing this for my niece and wasn't planning on going too far,' she thought to herself, 'but now I'm going to enjoy hurting this pretty little face.'  
  
Mikagi sensei grabbed both of Sango's arms this time, and only with one hand. Sango gritted her teeth and refused to yell despite the pain. Behind her Kagome was looking on with shocked horror. How can a teacher do something so unethical was beyond her. Of course she'd get away with it, she's chancellor Mikagi's sister. Just like how Akiko is Mikagi Toji's sister. As long as you have connections, you have power, that's how simple it is in this unruly world.  
  
"You assaulted a teacher," the colossal woman grinned with sinister eyes, "but I won't report you." She tightened her grip on Sango. When Sango still refused to show any signs of pain, Mikagi sensei let go of her arms.  
  
"But I will punish you, young people these days must learn to respect their elders." Mikagi sensei crossed her eyes and nodded her head toward the center of the field. "Give me 200 pushups, and do it in less than 5 minutes."  
  
Some girls in the class gasped, it's an impossible task for an average high school girl.  
  
"Mikagi sensei, that's impossible!" Kagome stepped forward to defend her friend. It wasn't hard to figure out what was going on here. Obviously Akiko had a "chat" with her aunt before they got here. 'But why Sango-chan? If Akiko has a problem with me, then let me take the punishment. No doubt Mikagi sensei will give an even more extreme task if Sango doesn't finish the pushups.'  
  
The burly gym teacher only snickered. "Would you like to join her, Higurashi?"  
  
Kagome was now angry. She clutched her teeth hard so she wouldn't go out of control and curse at her teacher, though she wanted to do that more than anything else in the world. She was just about to speak again when Sango stopped her.  
  
"No problem." Sango said those two simple words and moved a few feet away. 'Kagome taught me the basic things students have to do in gym class. Pushups are just ways to strengthen the arm muscles.' Sango took a glance at the bracelet on her wrist before getting into position. 'Houshi-sama, I won't let her take this away from me.'  
  
And she began. As everyone including the teacher watched in amazement, Sango began her 200 pushups with a smile on her face. 'This is too easy. Throwing Hiraikotsu around is much easier than this.' Then Sango remembered once where Miroku complained that her weapon was too heavy. And her smile got wider and she moved faster.  
  
Kagome watched her friend with a huge grin and a proud heart. 'Sango-chan!' Kagome couldn't help but admire Sango even more. In small whispers, Kagome counted: "twelve, thirteen, fourteen..."  
  
Needless to say, the two Mikagi women were stunned.  
  
^_~  
  
"You must be the new students!!!" A short and chubby woman around sixty clasped her hands together. Her eyes twinkled as she studied the two stunned young men before her. It didn't seem like she noticed the new paint on her hair and clothes. Her wrinkles got worse as she grinned.  
  
Miroku and Inuyasha looked at each other and then at their teacher. The same train of thought ran through their mind. 'Isn't she upset?'  
  
Apparently she wasn't. Instead she put a wrinkled hand on each of the two boys' arms and dragged them to the front of the class. Inuyasha was facing everyone with a red face. But somehow, Miroku still managed to keep smiling as though they didn't just made fools out of themselves in front of the entire class.  
  
"Now let me take attendance." The elderly teacher approached her desk and took out her glasses from a drawer. It was then that Miroku and Inuyasha noticed that she had a slight hump on her back and couldn't walk very fast. It didn't take long to mark attendance. The teacher then slipped the glasses to the top of her head and went to stand between Miroku and Inuyasha.  
  
She turned her body and shook each of their hands. "Hello, how are you? Boys, my name is Takenouchi, and I'm your art teacher." She clasped her hand together again and looked at the two proudly. "Oh, I'm so happy to have two such talented students in my class. Look at this masterpiece you made!!!" She was looking and gesturing at her shirt and dress. And Inuyasha and Miroku were looking at her as though she was insane.  
  
And to their horror, she reached for each of their cheeks with both hands and pinched them individually, and I don't mean the cheeks on their faces. After she was done, the class was silent, very silent. Inuyasha and Miroku walked back to their seats with a daze. The shocked monk was mumbling something like: "I've... been... groped..."  
  
Takenouchi sensei then went to a closet and took out a slide machine. It seemed to be very heavy, but no one made an effort to help her carry it. Finally she set it up on her desk and plugged it in. Next she took out a gigantic box from a drawer and retrieved some slides.  
  
"Oh dear, where are the ones of Eastern art?" The woman looked everywhere for the specific slides, mumbling to herself. "Hmm, I need my glasses. Oh dear, where are my glasses?"  
  
They never got to watch any slides of Eastern art. The teacher spent the entire period searching for her glasses. No one informed her that they were right on top of her head. The girls went back to chatting and flirting with the boys. And Mikagi Toji was still painting on his own canvas.  
  
Inuyasha and Miroku were stunned for quite a while. But Inuyasha finally snapped out of it. He jabbed Miroku hard in the ribs, and repaid him the jab he got earlier. But it seemed as though Miroku was too out of it to noticed pain at the moment.  
  
"Oi, bouzo," Inuyasha stared at Miroku wearily with a smirk, "why don't you ask Takenouchi sensei to bear you a child? I think she'd be happy to say yes."  
  
Miroku's constant smile disappeared, and a very evil frown was on his face. He said in the most serious voice Inuyasha has ever heard from him: "Don't joke about such a thing."  
  
Inuyasha gulped. To distract Miroku's attention, he looked outside onto the girls' athletics field and announced with relief, "hey look, it's Sango and Kagome!"  
  
Miroku's smile popped back instantly. His head peeped out the window. Inuyasha grumbled a little "just don't look at Kagome."  
  
"Hai, hai." Miroku was too focused on Sango to even look at any other girls. "Wow, look at her."  
  
Over in the athletic field, Sango was doing pushups while everyone else was watching her in a daze. Inuyasha took a look as well and noticed Kagome standing not far from Sango with a big grin on her face.  
  
"Why is Sango the only one doing pushups?" Inuyasha only glanced at Sango. His eyes were on Kagome, or more precisely her thighs. 'I'm not Miroku. I'm not Miroku. I CAN'T BECOME MIROKU!!' It was absolutely futile to shift his eyes away. 'Damn it, Kagome, why are your legs so nice?!'  
  
Inuyasha was on the side berating himself for looking at Kagome inappropriately, and Miroku was too focused on Sango to notice. But it was a good question. Just why was Sango the only one doing pushups?  
  
^_~  
  
"A hundred and ninety-three, a hundred and ninety-four, a hundred and ninety-five." Kagome's count was getting louder and louder. And now Yuka, Emi, and Ayumi joined her as well. Sango had slowed down somewhat after a hundred and fifty pushups, but she was still doing it.  
  
The look on Mikagi's face was priceless. The behemoth of a woman had her eyes wide open and her jaws dropped so low that both of her chins disappeared. Across from the field, Akiko looked at Sango in horror.  
  
'How... is she doing this...?' Akiko thought to herself. Her best friend clutched her elbow just a bit too tightly, but she was too distracted to notice the pain.  
  
Sango turned her head and she finished the hundred and ninety-fifth pushup and flashed Kagome a smile. Then slowly, she lifted her left arm and put it on her back. With only her right arm, Sango completed the last five pushups and stood up with a relaxed sigh.  
  
Everyone cheered. And not just girls. Apparently boys from other classrooms also had the same idea as Miroku, and they observed Sango's achievement in their individual windows as well. Sango ignored their catcalls and went to face her teacher.  
  
Mikagi sensei snapped herself out of the daze and shock. She cleared her throat and grunted. "Not bad."  
  
Kagome was so happy she almost went to hug Sango. But their trial was not yet over.  
  
"But your punishment isn't through." Mikagi sensei's sinister grin was back. She pointed somewhere on another side of the field and barked to Sango: "climb that rope."  
  
Sango looked over her shoulder and found Mikagi Akiko standing next to a giant swing set. Actually, it was a swing set without the swings. Four fourty-feet ropes dangled from the top bar.  
  
'Climb those ropes?' Sango grimaced. She was a strong girl, it was necessary for a youkai exterminator. But everyone has their limits. Already her arms were beginning to soar from the two-hundred pushups she just finished under four minutes. Sango rubbed her biceps and walked slowly over to the ropes, trying to buy herself some time.  
  
Kagome was now permanently pissed. She darted in front of Mikagi sensei and just about yelled at her teacher. "Mikagi-sensei, I don't think it's very fair for you to set Sango these impossible tasks. She's new here and don't know the school rules. Can't you let it slide for once?"  
  
Sango heard her friend's pleads and turned to look at Kagome appreciatively. But Mikagi sensei didn't like this. She shoved Kagome forward and growled ferociously. "You don't think it's fair, Higurashi? Then go join your friend." She dared Kagome to say no.  
  
Kagome's eyes glowed. 'I'll show her! What kind of teacher is she?!' With a loud "fine", Kagome approached Sango and dragged the puzzled youkai exterminator toward the ropes. The young miko spat on her hands and looked over to Sango. "Let's do this, Sango-chan!"  
  
Sango looked astounded, but also happy inside that her friend was with her. She gave Kagome a cheerful nod and placed her hands on the ropes.  
  
^_^  
  
"Hey, stop that!" Miroku shouted as he tried to stop the boys from other classes from whistling at his Sango. Inuyasha had to pull him back to make sure that he doesn't fall off.  
  
"Miroku, calm down!" Thankfully, other teachers were different than their Takenouchi sensei, and had the sense of dragging their male students away from the windows.  
  
"Wow, did you see that? One hand!" Miroku rested her hand in his kazaana palm; the right elbow on the windowsill supported his head. He was beaming at Sango's figure.  
  
Inuyasha sighed and shook his head. His silver hair flowed smoothly. The women down below were now talking about something. But they were far away so even the hanyou couldn't hear. "What's up now?" Then both of them noticed Kagome stomp away toward Sango, and the two had their hands on two rather high and unsafe-looking ropes.  
  
"Are they going to climb that?" Inuyasha asked again, though Miroku gave no answer. "What if they fall?" Truthfully, he was more worried about Kagome. Sango had proper training, and can endure such strenuous activities, but Kagome was shelter for most of her life.  
  
Miroku finally responded. "I hope they don't fall. They don't have any grass to break their fall."  
  
Inuyasha growled angrily. "And why are only those two doing it?" By this time, Kagome and Sango had already started to go up. Sango was ahead of Kagome, but only by a foot. Kagome's feet were just above the ground, and from the look of it, she was having a hard time.  
  
Sango stopped in midair and looked down on Kagome. She yelled something at her friend, and Kagome began to shake her head.  
  
Inuyasha's leg was shaking, he couldn't sit still. Miroku noticed this for once and patted his friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, they're our girls. They can handle themselves."  
  
Miroku managed to say that with a normal heartbeat, but Inuyasha blushed crimson. "Wha... what are you talking about, 'our girls'?"  
  
Miroku smirked back. He shrugged at Inuyasha. "If you can't even figure that out, then you're really hopeless."  
  
"Aa, shut up!"  
  
*_*  
  
"Kagome-chan, give up if you can't do this! It's going to get really high!" Sango stopped moving and yelled back down at her friend. She was already in the middle, but Kagome had just barely left the ground.  
  
Kagome clutched her rope tightly and shook her head with all her might. "Iie, Sango-chan, I can't give up! It's my fault that you're involved in this. I won't let you go through this alone!"  
  
Sango sighed inwardly. She knew about Kagome's stubbornness, and there was no way for the young miko to give in so easily. The only thing Sango could do is to keep going and trust in Kagome's abilities.  
  
Kagome bit on her lips hard. 'I can do this. I'm NOT weak!' Her mind flashed back to all those times Inuyasha had to come to her rescue in the Sengoku Jidai. 'I can't have Inuyasha save me every time.' Then she thought about the two ambushes from the Mikagi siblings. 'I'm strong too, I have to prove myself.' Her skinny arms trembled, but she wouldn't let go. 'UP!!!!!!!' Kagome screamed inside her head and her arms moved up, dragging the rest of her body along the rope.  
  
Her palm burnt as it clutched tightly onto the rope. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut so she wouldn't look down. 'I'm moving!' Down below, she can hear Yuka, Ayumi, and Emi's cheers. 'I can do this! I'm strong too!'  
  
Far away inside a noisy art room, a certain hanyou was gazing at her with unexplainable pride. And another drooling monk was eyeing Sango's exposed thighs.  
  
Sango approached the top. 'Itai!' She groaned as her biceps ached with pain. But she didn't move. She looked down calmly and waited for her friend to reach the top as well. 'C'mon, Kagome-chan, you can do this!'  
  
Slowly but surely, Kagome managed to pull herself up. She opened her eyes and smiled at Sango. "I knew you'd wait for me."  
  
Sango smiled back with semi-teary eyes. "What are friends for?"  
  
Kagome giggled joyously. "Ready to go back down?"  
  
"Hey, Kagome-chan," Sango had one of her rare mischievous grins, "how about we do this youkai exterminator style?"  
  
Kagome's smile got wider. "I'm not sure if I can do it. We're pretty high up." She only hesitated for another second. "But I'll give it a try. On three. One, two..."  
  
"Three!" Sango yelled and the two let go simultaneously. The crowd below gasped as the two girls' feet reached the ground at the same time, their right hands landed as well, their bodies crouched up, and their right knees made contact with the ground after their feet did.  
  
Kagome wavered a little, but Sango remained steady. Yuka, Emi, and Ayumi rushed up to them.  
  
"Wow, you guys were like samurai!!"  
  
"No, more like two graceful ninja!"  
  
"Kagome-chan, Sango-chan, that was great! Not a lot of girls can do that!"  
  
Everyone else applauded as well. But the cheerful mood was soon interrupted with Mikagi sensei's cough. The woman cleared her throat and barked at her class: "what are you doing? Keep moving! This is still class time!"  
  
Then she disappeared. Probably went off somewhere to take her anger out on an innocent student. Kagome gave Sango a sweaty hug.  
  
"Kagome-chan!" Sango laughed at her friend's excitement. "She left! She gave up!"  
  
Kagome laughed as well. "That's because she can't do anything more to you, Sango-chan! You beat Satan's wife!"  
  
Yuka, Emi, and Ayumi joined the fun. They spent quite a while talking about Mikagi sensei behind her back. Since their teacher was nowhere in sight, nobody else bothered to do any activities. They didn't notice a steaming Akiko staring at them like an eagle.  
  
"Wow, today is just too exciting!" Yuka sighed dreamily. "First those two oh-so-hot new third graders last period, and now you guys actually defeated Satan's wife!"  
  
"I knew high school had to be more interesting than work, work, and more work." Ayumi started to jump around Kagome and Sango. The three didn't notice the fake laugh coming out of Sango and Kagome when Yuka mentioned Miroku and Inuyasha indirectly.  
  
Emi's eyes lighted up. "Speaking of those two hotties, I remember the first one winked at you, Sango-chan."  
  
Sango's face turned red instantly. And then she began to stutter. "Oh, yea, we're um... all friends."  
  
Yuka gasped. "And so you know that white haired boy too?!"  
  
Sango smiled and pushed Kagome forward. "Yup, didn't you guys hear? That white haired boy is actually Kagome's boyfriend. He announced it in math class!"  
  
Kagome was on the verge of fainting again. Her three old friends were more than delighted. "But I thought your boyfriend was arrogant, mean, violent, selfish..." Emi began listing all the bad things Kagome ever said about Inuyasha. Kagome started to sweat. She covered her friend's mouth.  
  
"Umm... no... I was... that was a different guy..." She suddenly noticed that she shouldn't have said that.  
  
Ayumi gasped. "Kagome-chan! How many boyfriends do you have?!"  
  
"I... uh..." Kagome sighed and lowered her head in defeat. 'I've talked myself into a dead end.' Next to her, Sango laughed at her embarrassed expression. "If my arms weren't so tired, I'd kill you, Sango-chan."  
  
"Hai, hai." Sango replied with a tone that was too close to Miroku's.  
  
^_~  
  
"See? Told you they can handle themselves!" Miroku gloated as Kagome and Sango landed smoothly on the ground.  
  
Inuyasha ignored him. 'Our girls, hmm...'  
  
The two ignored the girls' pointing and whisperings and focused on "their girls". The class was still noisy, the teacher was still looking for her glasses. Inuyasha yawned. He was so at peace that he almost forgot about Toji's presence.  
  
Toji himself was also focused on something else. His brush stroked the canvas. It seemed like he's been working on that painting for a long time. The long black hair in a ponytail, the oval shape face, and the small cherry lips slightly curled so the face was smirking. But the most noticeable feature of the person in his painting was the eyes. They had no color, Toji had left them blank on purpose.  
  
"Hmm, five more minutes 'till class ends." Inuyasha glanced at the watch Kagome gave him. He's now very skilled at reading time, and was very proud of it.  
  
"So the girls should be getting ready to change." Miroku sighed. "I don't want my darling Sango to be out of those clothes."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Down in the girls' field, a colossal figure was approaching "their girls", it was their teacher who left earlier. The giant woman grabbed Sango's wrist and seemed to be twisting it. Even if Inuyasha couldn't hear what was happening, it was clear that Sango was in pain. Kagome stepped up and attempted to help Sango, but she was shoved back by the teacher.  
  
Inuyasha growled fiercely. Next to him, Miroku tensed up as well. The teacher seemed to have taken something away from Sango and was stomping on the object.  
  
"Sango!" Miroku and Inuyasha gasped. They picked up their briefcases and made a dash for the door. "Sensei, we have to go!" Lucky for them, Takenouchi sensei was still concentrating on looking for her glasses and they left without a glitch. The entire class stared after them. Mikagi Toji was mixing some green paint with white, he noticed the two's abrupt exit but went back to his painting right away.  
  
-_-  
  
"Sensei!" Kagome cried out in vain as Mikagi sensei ripped Sango's bracelet off her wrist and threw it on the ground. She ran forward to help her friend but was shoved away once more.  
  
"My bracelet!" Sango made a grab for the bracelet on the ground, but the teacher still had a hold on her wrist and she couldn't move since her muscles were so tired out.  
  
With a merciless sneer, Mikagi sensei placed her over-sized left foot on the fragile object, again and again until it was in pieces. All Sango and Kagome could do was watch.  
  
"Class is ending, go change!" Mikagi sensei announced routinely. She let go of a teary-eyed Sango and walked toward the school building.  
  
Everyone left without a word. Yuka, Emi, and Ayumi wanted to stay, but Kagome told them to go before they're punished too.  
  
Sango went over to her broken bracelet. She picked up the pieces and held them tightly in her palm. The girl squeezed her eyes tight so tears wouldn't come out. Kagome bent down next to her and put her arms around her friend's shoulders.  
  
"You shouldn't mess with my best friend." A voice mocked them. Kagome and Sango's heads shot up and faced two grinning girls. One was Kamiya Sonoko, the other, Mikagi Akiko. "Your boyfriend does the deed, your best friend pays the price. It's as simple as that." Akiko snapped her fingers and walked away. Sonoko followed like a lapdog.  
  
"I don't believe this..." Kagome whispered. "This all was because Inuyasha offended Kamiya Sonoko in the hallway. I should've seen this coming."  
  
Sango shook her head. "I should've been more careful."  
  
Akiko walked out the field toward the school building, only to bump into Inuyasha and Miroku.  
  
"Well, hello." She pasted on her best smile and studied Inuyasha from head to toe. Behind her, Sonoko scoffed.  
  
"Move, smelly bitch." Inuyasha shoved her aside none too gently. Miroku didn't even bother looking at them, and that's more than we give him credit for.  
  
"Akiko-chan?" Sonoko touched her shoulder.  
  
Akiko tilted her head and laughed. "Let's go, Sonoko-chan." She turned her head and walked away, to hide the sadness in her eyes.  
  
"Miroku, Inuyasha!" Kagome called out as the two boys approached them. "Sango-chan's bracelet..."  
  
Miroku rushed to Sango's side in a flash. He saw the pieces in her palms and sighed. Kagome got up to give them more space and she walked over to Inuyasha.  
  
The hanyou glanced at Sango and then shifted his attention back to Kagome. "Go change."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I said, go change. That's not proper clothing." Inuyasha said with a flush on his cheeks. Kagome smiled appreciatively. She walked back to Sango and whispered to her that she'll meet her in the locker room and then allowed Inuyasha to walk her back.  
  
Now there were only two people left in the field.  
  
"Gomen, Houshi-sama. I couldn't keep it in one piece." Sango whispered, her attention was still on the pieces in her palms.  
  
The monk only smiled and shook his head. Reaching over to Sango's cheek, he slid a strand of hair behind her ear. Then he whispered to her only: "It's alright. I'll get you another one."  
  
Sango finally looked at him. Her eyes were watery, but she was smiling.  
  
Miroku touched her wrist, it was red from when Mikagi sensei grabbed her. "Does it hurt?" His other hand went too low as it caressed Sango's exposed thighs.  
  
Sango's smile disappeared in the speed of light. She slapped him, hard, and then asked in an innocent tone: "does that hurt?" Finally she added another bump to his head.  
  
The monk tipped over, his eyes rolled back and he fainted. Sango left the pervert there, unconscious, and went back to the locker room to change.  
  
-_-  
  
The bell rang and Takenouchi sensei finally gave up her attempt to find her glasses. "Okay, class dismissed. Huh, where are Taisho-kun and Houshi-kun?"  
  
Nobody said anything and they all exited the classroom. Toji moved to the sink to clean his brush and pallet. Marusato was looking at his painting of a girl with an amused smile.  
  
"Yo, Toji, is this the girl of your dreams?" Marusato teased him.  
  
Toji's face was hard to read. He kept on washing his brush; light green paint flowed into the pipes. "Look closely, at the eyes."  
  
Marusato leaned in more. "Oh, you finally colored the eyes. They're green" His eyes flashed. "Hey, she looks just like Akiko-chan."  
  
Toji smiled. "Because it's supposed to be her."  
  
"The green is just her contacts though. Your contacts are green too. You're supposed to have brown eyes, right?" Marusato scratched his chin. "Why not blue? That's what her real eye color is."  
  
"Because," Toji dried the brush with a paper towel and answered with an inaudible sigh, "she's my little sister."  
  
Marusato apparently didn't understand what he meant. Toji shook his head at his friend's stupidity. "Let's go, we got lunch, I'm hungry." Marusato followed obediently.  
  
The painting of the girl with green eyes remained in the room, still smirking.  
  
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 Now for the reviews:  
  
Celeste - wow, author alerts. Does that even work? I'm going slow with the fluff for now. I have just so much things to explain. But I managed to squeeze in that little part with Sango and Miroku in this chapter. More fluff will come. I guess I'm just not a fluffy person.  
  
Wakadori Ramen - whatever happened to Lil' Chi Chi? Hehe, of course I'm a nice person! *cough* Oh, and thanks for the comment you left in my guestbook!  
  
Toku-chan - argh, the English version of any anime sucks. Especially CCS!!! It drove me crazy!!  
  
The Unnamed Demon - Glad to help.  
  
Zonza - wow, I'd say I've touched a reader with my ordinary little ficcy. *sniff* Eh, did you have an urge to kill Mikagi sensei, the gym teacher, after reading this chapter? I hope your computer can take your trashing.  
  
LightHopemayShine - hey, just because you're male doesn't mean you can't say you want more fluff. C'mon, *nudge* admit it, you wanna see more fluff, right? Well, comedy, that's the toughest thing for me. But I'll give it a whirl.  
  
Barrelmaker's Princess - something started with a "u"? Can you give me the precise word? Was it "imooto"? That would mean little sister. I don't remember anything that started to "u".  
  
Lady Hawke2 - Haha, you're a guy! J/K. Don't kill me! More IY/Kag moments. You don't need to tell me that. I'll guaranteed you I'll gave tons of those moments.  
  
LuckyLadyCat - ahh, no problem. If you didn't win the contest, that means you weren't cruel enough. Did you read the other threats? Now those people are cruel.  
  
EmeraldDragon - Haha, you like to see Toji crumbles under Inuyasha's feet, don't ya? Sorry, ain't gonna happen. Toji and his sister are both complex characters. But they're strong willed. You'll see eventually.  
  
Kitsune Hanyou - argh, you Cali people. I went there once, it's so sunny over there. Not fair.  
  
Sizzlinghotcat - no dance. I'm writing this fic as close to the real Japanese school as possible. And I don't think they have school dances over there. But I'm gonna give you something better. But I won't spoil it. It'll take a few chapters (if you haven't noticed, it's been 3 chapters, and they're still on the first day, I'm slow). But something very interesting will happen, I promse!  
  
Jiao-chan - aww, and I thought I found a fellow Chinese companion. *sigh* Oh well. Fluffy-chan? He'll be here soon, be patient!  
  
Ever Happy - Your very own chapter! And it's 15 pages long!!! I'm better, if you don't count the 6 cavities.  
  
Dark Whispers - *Mizu is whispering* thank you for reviewing. And don't be so humble about your fics. You want fluff? Okay, I'll try my best.  
  
Three Letter Word - I actually like "Back to the Future". Michael J. Fox is one of my favorite actors. Too bad he's sick. Which movie do you mean? I saw both of them. They're soooooo goooooooood!!!!!  
  
Dracoluver1 - ah, the evil Draco Malfoy! I actually think Draco Malfoy will become good later.  
  
Bebe-jinx - ah, Kikyo, yes, I'm still not sure. She's not really important to the plot. And my site? Well, ff.net has problems. The real link is above.  
  
Princess Athelia - I'm a goddess. Bwahahahaha!!! Are goddesses supposed to laugh so evilly? Oh, and it's 'jealous'.  
  
Majel - aww, thanks so much. I want to put up translations, but I hate going back and read my stories until a couple of days later.  
  
Azn-anime - ha, I'm so happy! ^_^  
  
Kenkaya - *laughing* I find it hard to believe that Kouga would end up with Kagura considering the fact that Kagura killed just about all his comrades and that he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. But I enjoyed reading your review, both of them. You sound older than most of my reviewers, meaning your writing sounds very mature. I personally love writing fighting and sad scenes, and comedy and fluff is the toughest for me. I've read "Present Time", in fact, Alandrem is one of my favorite authors. O god, if you posted before the contest was over, you would've won. Haha, advance Calculus, boy do I feel sorry for you. Naraku's sex slave? *shudder* And thank you for not speaking that evil purple dinosaur's name. And as for the Kenshin Seishouhen, well, I hated it. I seriously did. I was tempted to fall asleep in the middle of watching it. And the end was just too sad. It made me think about it the entire night how fragile human beings really are. And no matter how strong we are, one day we'll all grow old and die. That's the message I got, and it was just too depressing for my taste. And Kaoru, she should've lived on, for Kenji. But she chose "to share Kenshin's pains". I really don't understand her. (wow, that was the longest review response I ever wrote.) I don't know why, but I feel a connection to you. So if you don't mind, I'd like to make the next chapter dedication to you.  
  
Seraphim Wings - ahh, shredding machine! You sound mature for a twelve-year- old. And you've got good taste if you like my fic. (hehe, I'm not modest at all, am I?)  
  
Ses - *gasp* another male reader?! That makes two! Woohoo. I proved those people wrong. There are guys that read fanfiction!  
  
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REVIEW!!!!!!!!   
  



	8. Love Letters and Appointments

Disclaimer: I own Inuyasha, though only in my dreams. And I'm not rich, so don't sue me.  
  
Reviews:   
  
OkamiSedai - Welcome back! Did you have a good time? I missed your words of encouragement. *Tackle/hug you back*  
  
Sweet Sad Jess - don't we all, don't we all. Well, don't get a seizure over it or anything, I won't hurt Kagome or Sango that badly. Although as an author I kinda have to. But don't worry, they can handle themselves. And even if they can't, there's always Inuyasha and Miroku.  
  
Toku-chan - *sweat drop* I was afraid of your punishments if I "disappointed" you. I wouldn't make Kagome grovel, never. She's my favorite anime female character, ever.  
  
Wakadori Ramen - Last time I tried, I could only do 5 pushups at once. Yeah, don't we all feel sorry for Miroku. Well, it can't be helped, you guys requested humor, and so I did my best to deliver. Hey, I'm Chinese, and I live in NY, maybe I'll see your chicken noodle soup one day and tell him what you said. *nudge nudge*  
  
Zonza - Remember how I said that there wasn't going to be a bad guy in this fic? Well, I changed my mind, if anything, that teacher's gonna get a trashing (kinda like your computer).  
  
Kagome Loves Inuyasha - I tried my best, but it wasn't as nearly as funny as some of the other great fics I've read.  
  
Carr - Yeah, read what I said to Zonza, two names above yours.  
  
Lady Hawke2 - thanks. *sigh* But I do have a lot of grammar mistakes. I'm a FOB... I want to sob... (This is scary; I'm getting good at this rhyming thing)  
  
Sayori - I'll let the end of this chapter speak for itself. You'll see later. I can't say too much about it as of now since I really don't know what I'm gonna do with them yet. I have a skeptical idea, but I'm still debating.  
  
Ever Happy - e...hehehe... yea, I have a confusing site. I'm the only webmistress and it's tiring sometimes running that site and writing 3 fics with no help. Yea, 6 cavities, I'm finally learning to brush my teeth before I go to sleep.  
  
Kenkaya - I've read If Wishes. Hehe, seems like I've read every fic you name. You have no AC in your room? Tsk, tsk. Well, there was a huge blackout in my area earlier, and we were without ac for 24 hours, so I know the feeling. Haha, Sano hugged Kenshin. I felt sorry for Sano, how his best friend couldn't remember him. And Kenshin's illness was enough to make me wanna trash the disc. I agree with the kissing thing, I even mentioned that in my first fic (not on this site). As for Baywatch... well, let's just be glad that it's an American show. I don't want to hurt Miroku too badly. What's "Grave of the Fireflies"? As for your ego? HAHA, I wish your head blows up and pop 'cause this chapter is dedicated to you! And no, I really don't want to see you spilling your brains.  
  
Ses - o no, I don't have a problem at all. In fact, I think it's cool and rare. Woohoo for you! Oh no, I just drank pepsi, entering hyper mode...  
  
Del_kaidin - I'm gonna do my best. But if my best still can't change the readers' mind about the Mikagi siblings, then... I'LL JUMP OFF A BRIDGE AND KILL MYSELF!!! *clear throat* That was the Pepsi talking. I'll just shrug.  
  
Lil'lyn713 - haha, seems like you're not the only one who wants a piece of Toji and his sister. But I'm going to take this slow. But yea, the gym teacher's dead. Well, not dead dead, but I'll make sure she suffer. *wink* HIGH-FIVE!!!!! Okay, again, the pepsi talking.  
  
LightHopemaybshine - hehe, Digimon, I loved that show. But only the first one. The rest was just too confusing. Yes, suspense, don't you just hate it when I do that?  
  
Silver Mystic - I'll let the end of this chapter speak for itself.  
  
Pimmy-chan - HAHA, TOO LATE, I JUST DRANK PEPSI AND NOW I'M INSANE. INSANE!!!!!!!  
  
YoukaiLover- why do I have this feeling that you didn't finish writing your review? How come you have school? It's still the middle of August. Well, I hope you didn't get in trouble with your math teacher.  
  
Fox_Fire303 - You should read the threats I got from the death threat contest I hosted before. I've already been tortured beyond recognition. Being locked in a basement isn't a bad idea compared to what I've been through. Hehe, I'll update as often as possible.  
  
Jiao-chan - hahaha, yes, she'll pay. By my typing fingers and my precious laptop. I swear by the heavens that she'll pay!!!  
  
Sana ChiChi- Is that a flame? Would that count as my first flame? I don't know the exact definition of a flame. So were you flaming me? ... Yes, I'm weird. But I didn't want to make them act out of character. Just think about it, Miroku saw Sango in the brief-like uniform, there is no possible way that he can control his hand. More fluff will come, and serious ones. This fic ain't going anywhere soon.  
  
Princess Athelia - Yes, you are insane and psychic. But so are every fanfiction readers in the world. I'm just glad you're not using your insanity for plotting to kill me.  
  
Dreamcatcher5 - *tears* I'm glad you liked my story. But... *sigh* sadly, I can't do anything about my grammar. I've only been speaking English for five years and there's nothing I can do to improve it. I've tried, trust me, I did. But it's just habit. O man, I feel like crying now. I'm gonna fail my SAT Literature with such sucky grammar... I think I'll jump of a bridge now.  
  
Zephor - I don't know anything about what's to come. I write the first thing that's on my mind. I don't even know what date today is. Yes, I'm 99 and very senile. Haha, just joking. I'm 16 and very senile (not joking about the senile part). They have different eye colors; that's all I can say at the moment.  
  
Mandypanchan - hahahaha. I love reviews like yours.  
  
Cathy - hey, you've got my mom's name. Okay, that was way off topic.  
  
Majel - with all those PLEASEs, how can I not update?  
  
Now for Bodyguards:  
  
**Chapter 8: Love Letters and Appointments**  
  
"I'm so tired!!!" Kagome groaned as she dabbed her paintbrush in red-orange paint. Her left hand moved to rub the biceps on her right arm. "I think I got rope burns as well."  
  
Next to her, Sango set on a stool and was mixing yellow paint with white.  
  
"Aren't you tired, Sango-chan?" Kagome asked. They were trying really hard to ignore all the whispers and points they received from around the art classroom. The girls were telling the boys about Sango and Kagome's feats in gym class. Some guys even went over to congratulate them.  
  
Sango smiled slightly and shook her head. "I'm used to such intense training." She pointed at the beige paint she just made. "Ne, Kagome-chan, does this look like Kirara's skin color?"  
  
Kagome glanced sideways and nodded. "I just knew you'd pick her as your subject."  
  
Sango looked at the outlines of the fire cat youkai she drew in pencil on the paper canvas and smiled. "I was only eight when father gave Kirara to me. You have no idea how surprised I was when she first transformed."  
  
Kagome giggled. "I can imagine." On Kagome's canvas was an outline of Shippo. "Hmm, I think I'll start coloring his tail, it's so fluffy."  
  
Art class was almost over. The assignment the teacher gave was to paint an everyday animal with special features. Kagome immediately thought of the kitsune, and the two-tailed cat definitely made a good subject for Sango. They spent the entire period working on it. The two just chatted and kept to themselves most of the time. But they were getting stares from all around the classroom.  
  
"Class is ending, please put away your drawings and wash your equipments." Their teacher shouted as there were only three minutes left in the class. Kagome and Sango were lucky, they got the sane art teacher who actually lets them draw.  
  
The class followed the teacher's instructions. Soon the ending bell rang and the students filed out of the classroom.  
  
Kagome and Sango walked next to each other down the hallway with the rest of their class. They were still getting stares and looks from just about everyone. But Sango didn't care and Kagome just ignored them.  
  
"We have English this period." Sango said while she looked over her schedule. "And History for our last class."  
  
Kagome nodded. "The four of us would be able to remain together for both classes."  
  
"Speaking of which, where do you think the guys went for lunch?"  
  
Kagome sweat dropped. "Hopefully they were smart and just stayed on the school grounds and enjoyed the bentoo mama packed for them."  
  
"But they have the same lunch schedule as you-know-who, I think YOUR Inuyasha might be tempted to pick a fight with that guy." Sango smirked inwardly, she was sure that Kagome heard her stress on the "your". And her guess was confirmed with a deep flush on Kagome's cheeks.  
  
"Well..." Kagome stuttered, "Then I hope YOUR Miroku had the sense to stop him."  
  
And so, two very red and pretty girls entered their homeroom to see two bodies buried under two piled of paper. They had to be Miroku and Inuyasha since they were sitting in their desks. Students around the classroom were looking at them with amusement. Suddenly, a silvered hair boy popped out of one of the piles and gasped for air.  
  
"Oh (pant) hey Kagome, Sango, (inhale)" Inuyasha's face was distorted, but he still looked handsome, "what took you guys so long?"  
  
Kagome and Sango took their seats. Miroku was still buried under the pile of paper. Sango reached over and pulled the monk out by his ponytail. Miroku shot up like an arrow and clenched his head.  
  
"Ah, my dear Sango, don't pull so hard, I don't want to become bald just yet." Miroku pulled himself out of a grinning Sango's wrath.  
  
"What are these papers doing here on your desks?" Kagome asked nonchalantly as she picked up and random piece and read it out loud. She hasn't noticed the blush on Inuyasha's face. "'Dear Taisho-kun, I was mesmerized the minute I looked into your golden eyes (by the way, you must tell me where you got those contacts from). I heard you were going out with that Higurashi girl, but if you ever tire of her, give me a call, 555...'"  
  
Kagome stopped reading. Without even a look at her friends, Kagome reached into the pile and picked up another note. "'Inuyasha-kun, I think you're cute, how about a movie this Friday? - Himiko, class 3-2.'"  
  
Kagome tossed it aside and picked up another one. "'Dear Inuyasha-kun, I really like you. You shouldn't be going out with a first-grader. Meet me next to the school gates after school and I'll show you what a real woman is like. XOXOXO - a secret admirer.'"  
  
And another... "'I don't normally do this, but will you go out with me this weekend? I think I've fallen in love with you and your silvery hair. Please, Taisho-kun, be my boyfriend. - Ayumi, class 1-3...'"  
  
Kagome was about to scream. "Even Ayumi-chan is acting like this!!" The other one hundred or so pieces of paper were just about all the same. Half of them left numbers and asked Inuyasha to go out with them. The other half spent more time trying to convince him to "dump" Kagome and be their boyfriend instead.  
  
Sango was reading some of them as well, and she was laughing so hard that her sides were about to split. Miroku sat on his desk and surveyed his friends with a smug grin.  
  
"Inuyasha, what's the meaning of this?!" Kagome meant to say it casually, but it came out with anger and jealousy.  
  
Inuyasha shrugged with a huge blush on his face. "I dunno, me and Miroku came in here after we ate to wait for you guys. Then a whole bunch of girls just came in and began dumping this stuff on us."  
  
Kagome was still steaming. 'How dare they?!?!?!? Even after Inuyasha publicly announced in class that he was my boyfriend. Okay, so he didn't even know what that meant, but they did!!!' Since Kagome was too busy cursing out all the girls in her school in her head, Inuyasha just went on talking.  
  
"Oi, Kagome, a lot of these notes said that they want me to 'dump' you and be their 'boyfriend'." Inuyasha pointed to a note in his hand. "Since when did so many people want me to be their friend?" Inuyasha looked so innocent and so clueless, but that only pissed Kagome off more.  
  
A wrinkled vein appeared near Kagome's temple. 'I can't tell him, it's too embarrassing, and he'll take it back. I don't want him to take it back!'  
  
Inuyasha blinked at Kagome's silence. Miroku was looking through his own love letters and Sango was still trying to suppress her laughter.  
  
"Hello, Kagome?" Inuyasha waved a hand in front of her face. "Answer my question, wench!"  
  
Another vein appeared on Kagome's head, ready to pop. 'Don't sit him, you can't sit him here...' Kagome counted back from ten in her head. 'Just breathe; you can kill him when you get home.'  
  
Inuyasha was still staring at Kagome, trying to get her to say something. Sango finally stopped laughing. She reached over to Miroku's pile and pulled out a note. And she was about to have a fit as well.  
  
The content in Miroku's notes was more... intense than Inuyasha's. Sango had a feeling that it was due to the fact that Miroku probably flirted with all of them already. And so these girls know that he's not a shy one and decided to be "overly-friendly" as well. She had an urge to smack the monk into a coma.  
  
Suddenly a hand snatched the paper of out Sango's hand, the four friends all turned around. It was a girl, a very angry girl who wasn't in their class.  
  
"How dare you read other people's personal love notes?" The girl asked, she was pissed as hell. "Who do you think you are?!" Her voice was so loud that the entire class was watching them now. Actually, they were watching before. But now the room was silent as well.  
  
Sango blinked several times, her hand remained in the same pose. She didn't regain herself for quite a while. "I... I was just reading... I'm his friend, that's all... Sorry, was that note yours?"  
  
The girl calmed a bit. "No, but you still shouldn't invade other people's privacy." She took a deep breath and let go of the note. She reached into her briefcase and handed a piece of paper to Miroku. She bowed to him and ran out the door.  
  
Needless to say, the class was slightly stunned by the sudden intrusion.  
  
"Umm... wow," Sango turned her head to face Kagome, "Kagome-chan, girls from this age are really open with these kinds of things, aren't they? Who was that girl?""  
  
Kagome giggled. "I think she's in the second grade." She looked over Sango's shoulder to peek at the note that girl shoved into Miroku's hand. "What does it say?"  
  
Miroku opened the folded paper with the same smug grin. He cleared his throat and read it so loud that the entire class was able to hear him. "'Dear Houshi-kun, I heard about your performance in gym class from a friend. And after seeing you in the hallway, I can't help but fall for your purple eyes and ponytail. Please, I know you must hear this a lot, but please, be my boyfriend. - Aoko, class 2-1.'"  
  
Some of the guys in the class applauded for the monk. Some girls giggled, others groaned. But Miroku only smiled at them sweetly and turned to wave the note in front of Inuyasha's face.  
  
"Now I have ninety-nine, I'll only need fifteen more to beat you, Inuyasha!"  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and shook his head. He was still confused about the whole ordeal. The words in the notes made butterflies dance around in his stomach. Words like "hot muscles" and "hypnotic golden eyes" came up a lot.  
  
"I still don't get this." Inuyasha cleaned up his desk. He read only some of the notes, but stopped after he realized that they all had the same meaning. Apparently, all those girls thought he and Miroku were good- looking and wanted to be their friends.  
  
Miroku sighed. "What's not to get?"  
  
"Well, what's a 'date'? And what's so interesting about us being their friends?" Inuyasha crossed his arms and leaned forward, slumping onto the desk. In front of him, Kagome had her back to him so he couldn't see her blush. Next to him, Miroku sighed.  
  
"Not just a friend, Inuyasha, boyfriend!" Miroku's eyes lighted up like a torch.  
  
Inuyasha gave the monk a deadpan look. "Yea, a male friend. I'm not stupid!" Sango coughed at that and decided to face forward as well. The class was going to start soon.  
  
Miroku shook his head in disappointment. "I can't believe you still haven't figured it out. Inuyasha, a boyfriend doesn't mean 'male friend', it's a title that binds two lovers together. It's similar to marriage, or mating in youkai terms, but not as serious or permanent. 'Boyfriend' is only half of the title, the other half is 'girlfriend'. All these girls want us to be their 'boyfriend' and become our 'girlfriend'."  
  
Miroku's face was serious during the whole thing. In front of Inuyasha, Kagome sank into her seat. She didn't stop the monk during his little speech because she wanted Miroku to take care of it for her. 'I can't believe how dead-on he is.' Kagome marveled at Miroku's knowledge. 'And I didn't even have to tell him all those things.'  
  
Inuyasha sat up straight, and his face became distorted once again. He said in a choking manner, "hell no! I don't want to be like that to them!!!" Apparently he had forgotten for the moment what he announced during math. Sango was giggling like a madwoman and kicking Miroku under the desk at the same time. Miroku was reading his love notes again. Kagome sank into her chair more.  
  
Inuyasha looked at the back of Kagome's head, about to complain about the craziness of girls from this era. Then something screamed in the back of his head.  
  
'O CRAP!!!!'  
  
(A/N: I soooooooo wanted to end it here.)  
  
'Oh holy shit!' Inuyasha was now ranting inside his head. 'I said I was... O damn, o crap, o shit, o FUCK!!! "Boyfriend", it meant potential mate, that's what it meant! Damn it! Why didn't anyone tell me?!?!?!? Kagome must be pissed at me, I can't believe I said that without her permission, and in front of her entire class too!!!'  
  
Inuyasha was silent, and that's always not good. Kagome sat frozen in her seat. 'Great, now he knows and he probably regrets that he said it. Stupid Inuyasha, why did he have to be so... so... so stupid!?'  
  
A sound reached Inuyasha's invisible ears. 'Kagome's heartbeat, it's so fast.' Inuyasha had two choices: act like he doesn't remember what he said in math class and let everything go back to normal; or just go along with it. 'Kagome won't forgive me if I just pretend to have forgotten.'  
  
'Why isn't he saying anything?' Kagome shivered as she felt Inuyasha's eyes on her. 'He knows how I feel. But how does he feel?'  
  
"Ano... Taisho-sempai?"  
  
Everyone's head snapped sideways at the new intrusion. It was a blushing girl, probably in the first grade. Like many of the girls before her, she was clutching a folded piece of paper in her hand.  
  
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her and said nothing.  
  
The girl lowered her head and handed Inuyasha the paper in her hand. "Please accept this."  
  
Inuyasha didn't move. The class had gone to their usual conversation a while before, but the girl's entrance quieted them down, and all eyes were on Inuyasha once more, include Kagome's.  
  
Inuyasha looked at the paper the girl had in her hand. The poor girl was shaking like crazy.  
  
With a sigh, Inuyasha pushed her hands back and said in the gentlest tone possible: "Keep it. I already have a girlfriend, and I have no intention of dumping her anytime soon."  
  
Inuyasha didn't need to look at Kagome to know that she has stopped breathing. The sound of her thundering heartbeat was a lullaby to his ears. And to his surprise, his own heartbeat was amazingly calm.  
  
The girl in front of him raised her head and stared into his amber eyes. After two seconds, she managed to smile sweetly. "I understand, Taisho- sempai, thank you for your time." Then she left with a last look at Kagome, a look so full of envy and admiration.  
  
Right after the girl left, the teacher walked in and the bell rang for the start of the class. Inuyasha ignored the looks he got from everyone and took out his notebook and acted as though nothing happened.  
  
But despite the teacher's entrance, Kagome couldn't take her eyes off the hanyou. Sango and Miroku decided to leave the two to themselves and started to scribble in their notebooks.  
  
'Damn it, she's still looking!' Inuyasha groaned inwardly as he felt Kagome's intense glaze. Finally, after much consideration, he looked back.  
  
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Inuyasha barked a whisper at her. "What? I'm not good enough for you?"  
  
Kagome's eyes widened. Thankfully, the teacher was writing on the board and didn't notice the couple's little talk.  
  
Inuyasha sighed. He leaned forward and whispered into Kagome's ear. "Pay attention, Kag, we're still in class." With that, Inuyasha sat back down and began to copy the notes.  
  
Kagome was now permanently shocked. 'Did he just call me... Kag? Only Souta calls me that sometimes.' Slowly she turned to face the front, but was unable to pay attention the rest of the afternoon.  
  
Little else happened in English and History. But the five-minute break they received between classes was hard to forget.  
  
Their English teacher had just left the room, and the class fell into chatter to wait for their History teacher to enter.  
  
Kagome was in a spell of silence ever since the "incident" earlier in class. Inuyasha was walking back and forth between his desk and the garbage can. Miroku and Sango were still bickering about the love notes he received. Actually, Miroku was showing off and Sango was the one doing the bickering.  
  
When Inuyasha finally succeeded in dumping out all the love notes he received. He sat down in his seat with a sigh and turned sideways to look at Miroku and Sango. But his ears were picking up the slightest sounds of Kagome's breathing and heartbeat.  
  
"You should give them all back, or dump them like Inuyasha." Sango insisted with a full blush.  
  
Miroku chuckled. He flashed one of the longer notes in front of Sango's face. "Getting jealous?"  
  
Sango groaned and crossed her arms. She finally decided to ignore the monk and turned her back on him.  
  
"Kirara-san?" A boy's voice reached their ears and all looked up.  
  
"Oh, Yamato-kun, hi again." Sango greeted her lab partner with a warm smile. Unknown to her, Miroku's face had turned serious behind her.  
  
The tall boy with short hair smiled back. After a moment's hesitation, he leaned forward a little and fidgeted with his sleeves. "I've been meaning to ask you since Art, are you free this weekend? Would you like to catch a movie... or something?"  
  
Sango blinked, Kagome grinned, and Inuyasha smirked inwardly, not at the situation, since he still didn't understand the concept of dates, but he was smirking at the fact that he could no longer hear Miroku breathing.  
  
Sango blushed and began to panic. 'O no, he's asking me out on one of those date things Kagome-chan told me about, isn't he? Okay, breathe...'  
  
Seeing that Sango wasn't responding, Yamato scratched his head uncomfortably. "But if you're too busy or ..."  
  
"Yes, I'm busy," Sango sighed in relief at the provided excuse, "I just arrived from Hokkaido and I need to get settled in first."  
  
Yamato nodded sadly. "O, I see. Um, how about next week then?"  
  
Sango panicked again. She was just about to say that she's busy next week as well when her monk in shiny school uniform came to her "rescue".  
  
"Can you see she doesn't want to go out with you?" Miroku's face was serious and Kagome didn't need Inuyasha's hearing to know that his breathing was uneven.  
  
Sango frowned immediately. Yamato's face fell and his attention darted to the boy behind Sango.  
  
"Actually, Houshi-sama," Sango bit back bitterly, "I do want to go out with him. And Yamato-kun, next week will be perfect."  
  
Yamato's attention was back on Sango. He smiled brightly. "That's great, Kirara-san, I'll contact you when I get movie tickets."  
  
Sango ignored the stunned monk behind her and smiled back. "Okay, and just call me Sango." The boy smiled even happier. He practically hopped back to his friends.  
  
Sango turned sideways to face her shocked friends. Kagome grabbed her friend's hand and was split between whether to shake her or congratulate her. Inuyasha yawned like it wasn't very interesting and focused his attention on a very silent monk. Too silent.  
  
Kagome and Sango had their little girl talk about what to do on a date and how happy Kagome was for Sango. Miroku remained silent, and his smile didn't return for quite a while.  
  
Sango would glance at the monk from the corner of her eyes from time to time, but would always catch herself and turn back to her conversation with Kagome.  
  
Kagome was having a hard time keeping up her smile. She felt happy that Sango was popular with the boys. But she also felt bad for Miroku, who even though he's not showing it, was very sad about Sango's decision.  
  
-_-  
  
"So what did you guys think about your first day in school?" Kagome asked happily as she and her friends went to the cubicles and changed into their regular shoes.  
  
Inuyasha shrugged, a little annoyed that there were still so many people whispering about him as though he couldn't hear them.  
  
Sango was having a ball. She simply ignored Miroku's reaction from earlier and was already making friends, with both guys and girls. "I love it!"  
  
Miroku decided to "drown" his sorrow in a crowd of girls. All the love notes he received were in a plastic garbage bag he got from the janitor. "O yes, it's a wonderful place indeed."  
  
Kagome shook her head with a smile and led her friends out to the school yard.  
  
"Oi, Inuyasha!" Someone yelled from behind and the group stopped in their tracks.  
  
"Wolf, what do you want?" Inuyasha barked not so friendly as Tomoeda sensei/Kouga approached them.  
  
Kouga rolled his eyes. "Why are you in such a nasty attitude again?"  
  
Inuyasha raised a fist at him. "You fucking chickened out! What kind of youkai ARE you?!? You groveled in front of that fat human man. The Kouga we knew would've beaten that guy to a bloody pulp!"  
  
Kouga looked around nervously, glad that no one was within earshot. Then he faced Inuyasha and barked back.  
  
"Well, five hundred years can do a lot to you. I can't go around beating up every human that disrespects me. I have to keep peace or face the consequences! And he was the principal, my boss!"  
  
"What fucking consequences?!"  
  
"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT CURSING?!?!?!?" Kouga looked like he was about to reach a limit. He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Okay, look, a lot happened in the past five hundred years, stuff that an idiot like you obviously doesn't know."  
  
Kouga looked around once more and handed Inuyasha a card. "Look, here's my card and it has my address on it. All of you, and that include the kitsune pup, come to my place this Saturday, I have to take you all somewhere."  
  
Kouga turned and walked away with a low wave and an audible sigh.  
  
"What did he mean by that?" Kagome snatched the card from Inuyasha's hand and looked at it. "Hmm, Tomoeda sen... uh, Kouga lives in the suburbs."  
  
"Oh, one more thing," Kouga appeared in front of them again. "Kagome-chan, do you know the basic rules of basketball?"  
  
Kagome blinked. "Not really, but my little brother plays a little."  
  
Kouga nodded and pointed to Miroku and Inuyasha. "Good, then tell your little brother to teach these two."  
  
Kagome nodded in confusion and watched Kouga run back to the school building.  
  
"Keh, stupid... wolf..." Inuyasha mumbled and walked out of the school with his briefcase under his arm. His friends followed loyally.  
  
^_~  
  
Mikagi Akiko took out some water from the small refrigerator. The limo door opened and her brother stepped in.  
  
"Onii-chan, what took you so long?" The engine started as soon as Mikagi Toji was seated.  
  
Toji snatched the bottle from his sister's hand and drank it empty. "Marusato and the guys wanted to teach a first-grader a lesson and they wanted me to supervise it."  
  
Akiko scoffed. "Ne, onii-chan, remember that Higurashi girl?"  
  
"Of course. Did she forget our threat and went near Hobo again?"  
  
"It's Hojo." Akiko crossed her arms. "And I don't care about Hojo-kun anymore. I want that new guy, the one you fought in gym class today."  
  
Toji almost choked on the water he was drinking. "You (cough) mean (cough) that Inuyasha guy? The one with the long white hair?"  
  
Akiko nodded with a smirk. "It turned out that he's Higurashi's boyfriend. Hojo-kun only wanted to date Higurashi, but he never had a chance. Now I know why."  
  
Toji shook his head and sighed. "Girls... So now you want me to threaten her to break up with Inuyasha?"  
  
Akiko nodded once more.  
  
"I dunno, imooto," Toji shook his head, "that Inuyasha looked like he wanted to chop off my head today. He probably knows who I am and wanted revenge for his girl. Besides, as I was walking here, I saw him and his friends talking with Tomoeda sensei. They have the gym teacher on their side. They probably didn't know I could fight and wanted Inuyasha to have a legitimate reason to hurt me. And he can fight. This could be trouble if we force it."  
  
If they weren't in a limo, Akiko would've jumped up already. "But onii- chan..."  
  
Toji smiled confidently and held up a hand. "Calm down. I didn't say I wasn't going to help. Since we can't force this, then I'll have to think of something else. From what I've seen, Inuyasha's the kind of person who doesn't think before he acts. The way he fought showed that he's stubborn and pretty impatient, and very easy to bait."  
  
"And your point is..."  
  
"People like him have a major character flaw: jealousy." Toji stretched his legs. "He'll lose all senses if he's jealous, and that's when he's most vulnerable."  
  
Akiko raised an eyebrow at her brother. Toji laughed at her facial expression. "Don't worry about it, let your onii-chan handle this. Besides, life is getting too boring, this should be fun."  
  
Akiko smiled brightly. "Ne, onii-chan, do you remember what tomorrow is?"  
  
Toji leaned back and laughed. He reached into his briefcase and took out a canvas. "You caught me. There was no fight. I just went back to the art room to get this. I had to leave it there to dry."  
  
Akiko reached over and grabbed the painting eagerly. "O, onii-chan, it looks just like me!"  
  
Toji laughed even more at her reaction. "Of course, I spent a month working on it. Sorry it's so small though, I can't draw big."  
  
Akiko slumped over and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much, onii-chan!"  
  
Toji patted his sister's head. "Happy early birthday, imooto."  
  
Tears came to her eyes as she hugged her brother. But there was no sadness in them.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------  
  
What can I say besides: I'M SO HAPPY THAT I'M FINALLY DONE WITH THIS STUPID CHAPTER!!!  
  
Things are going to get more interesting from now on. Since I'm going kinda slow with this, Sesshomaru won't be appearing for quite a while. It's been 5 chapters and I'm still not done with Monday. I've finally decided that Naraku won't appear, and neither will be Kikyo. Their names will be mentioned but they won't appear in the chapters.  
  
A little preview:  
  
Monday will be done by tomorrow, and the next chapter will most likely end with a cliffie. Tuesday is important, but after that I'll just skip right to their meeting with Kouga on Saturday.  
  
The date as of now is somewhere in the middle of April. There's a pretty long vacation in early May called Golden Week, where a lot of holidays are in the same week, and something will happen during that time.  
  
A little about Japanese school systems: With the exception of P.E., Art, and Lab, they are all spending their classes in their homeroom with their homeroom students. In Japan, students stay in the classroom while teaches run around. The cubicles are where they keep their shoes. In Japanese schools, students wear separate shoes inside and outside the school. Ehh, I think that's all I have to say for now.


	9. Anime VS Homework

Disclaimer: Three anime I would love to own in this lifetime: Inuyasha, Slam Dunk, and Meitantei Conan (Detective Conan). But sadly, unless I'm super duper rich, my dreams will remain just dreams.  
  
Reviews:  
  
Wakadori Ramen - hey, guess what, I saw your chicken noodle soup and I told him what you said. *wink* hahahaha, I'm just kidding. I don't want to die just yet. I'd say you're probably the only one who doesn't hate the Mikagi siblings.  
  
Amelle - ehh, what's to tell. Well, you must go to Tokyo and Kyoto. If you want to see some nature, then go to Sapporo in Hokkaido. If you're going to say in a hotel, stay in one that gives you a kimono, and has futon instead of a bed. They serve sushi for meals and everything is very traditional. Ancient cities like Nagoya and Kyoto have shrines and castles that you just have to go visit. I'd suggest you go in early spring so you can watch the cherry blossoms. If you like to eat beef, then go to Kobe. There's so much to tell.  
  
Zonza - good girl, fight the temptation! Hey, tell me if you think the end of this chapter is sweet.  
  
Dark Whispers - I mentioned Sesshomaru's name in this chapter. It's a "foreshadow" to future chapters.  
  
Toku-Chan - o, so u know what's going to happen soon? Take a guess, I dare you.  
  
Natori - I don't deserve that title. I'm sure there are better ones out there.  
  
Chiruken - I'm sorry, but when I first glanced at your name, I thought it said "chicken". I'm kinda drunk at the moment, so I apologize.  
  
Yuzuki Potter - ............. do I want you to die? Hmm...... OF COURSE NOT! So here's the next chapter!  
  
Johanna Gen - wow, looks like I'm not the only hyper one here.  
  
Suki1 - okay, where's my review?  
  
YoukaiLover - aww, my school doesn't start 'till Sep. 8th. Wel, if you liked last chapter, then I hope you go "awww" for this chapter.  
  
Celestia - wow, *blush*, do I deserve such wonderful comments? The best? I highly doubt it. But I try my best. But thank you for making my day. This chapter is dedicated to you!  
  
Hyper girl - eh, I didn't watch the dubbed version. I don't even think there is a dubbed version yet. My version was Japanese audio with English subtitles. I never watch a dubbed version of Inuyasha.  
  
LediShae - You're not far from the truth. And thank you for reviewing my other fic. I already promised this chapter to Celetia, so what do you say about me dedicating the next chapter to you?  
  
Zoe the Wolf Immortal - aww, you no like Ayame? Don't wanna share Kouga, ehh? Hehehe.  
  
Wow! - lol, nice name. Ah, I normally don't do this, but I guess I can break my rule and email you.  
  
Angel Youkai - *sweat drop* no, actually, I think I've had enough of death threats.  
  
Jiao-chan - I know, who wouldn't want Inu-chan as a boyfriend? *dreamy sigh* I hope I made him romantic enough in this chapter. I wanted to write some fluff, but I didn't want to be OOC. And your words definitely makes me feel better.  
  
Mandypanchan - I know how you feel. I'm always staying up late reading fanfics. My best record so far is 7 in the morning. Hehe, I piss my dad off a lot staying up so late.  
  
Michael - lol, I liked how you started that review: "don't vanish".  
  
Pimmy-chan - *mizu struggling in straitjacket* I'm not insane!!!  
  
Sparkling_Aura - ahh, so you're also one of those dangerously crazy people who'd like to threaten and kill other innocent writers. *nods*  
  
Lunatic Pandora1 - yeah, I think I read that one. But I have something a little different in mind.  
  
Majel - okay, u over-excited child. Next chapter is right here!  
  
^_~  
  
**Chapter 9: Anime VS. Homework**  
  
"Kagome, I want ramen!" Inuyasha howled as soon as the four friends set their feet into the house.  
  
Kagome threw her briefcase onto the couch with a smile. "One bowl of instant ramen, coming right up!" She rushed to the kitchen to get started on Inuyasha's snack. Her other friends smiled knowingly, what Inuyasha said before English class was definitely still on Kagome's mind.  
  
Inuyasha flopped down onto the couch and turned on the television, his hand automatically went to the right to stroke Buyo's fur. The lazy cat purred in content.  
  
"Kirara!" The youkai cat leaped into Sango's arms as soon as the girl entered. "Oh, I missed you so much today!"  
  
Miroku leaned on the doorway, his briefcase in one hand, and the garbage bag full of love letters in another. "Glad to see she's not being chased around today."  
  
Sango stifled a giggle and everyone's mind flashed back to Saturday night, when they came back from dinner in WacDonald's......  
  
---Flashback---  
  
"My, Ai-sama, that was absolutely delicious." Miroku remarked while rubbing his stomach as they walked up the shrine steps. The sun was setting over the horizon. Shippo walked with his hand in Kagome's. Sango was giving him evil looks. And Inuyasha was picking some dirt under his fingernails.  
  
Just before Kagome's mother can reply, a loud screech sound reached their ears. It was followed by an unpleasant howl, a fierce yelp, and finally, some glass breaking.  
  
The group was stunned. Inuyasha groaned and rubbed his invisible dog ears.  
  
"Oi, Kagome, your grandpa's home." Inuyasha announced. "And I don't think Souta was able to stop him."  
  
"Oh no!" Kagome and her mother yelled simultaneously and ran into the house. Shippo, Miroku and Sango followed. Inuyasha sighed wearily and walked up calmly.  
  
It looked like all hell broke loose in the living room. The vase Kagome's mother bought last week was trashed. The couch was turned over, and Souta was hugging/trying to save his Playstation.  
  
In the corner of the room, a transformed Kirara was growling at an old man who was cowering in the corner with two fake ofuda in his hand. He kept chanting "evil youkai go away", but with no avail.  
  
"Kirara!" Sango yelled. The youkai cat noticed her master and transformed back right away. She ran toward Sango and was about to leap into the girl's arms. But Sango was mad. "Kirara, how can you do that to Kagome's grandfather?!"  
  
The smaller Kirara tilted her head and mewed. Sango kept on scolding her.  
  
Kagome couldn't keep watching anymore. She put one hand on her friend's shoulder and motioned her to stop yelling at the youkai cat.  
  
"Don't blame Kirara, jii-chan probably scared her with his fake ofuda." Then Kagome turned to her brother. "Souta, I thought mama told you to stay here to tell jii-chan about my friends." She didn't give Souta the time to explain. "And jii-chan, you know those ofuda don't work so stop scaring my friends with them!!! First Inuyasha, now poor Kirara..."  
  
Kagome was ready to blow up if necessary.  
  
Kagome's grandfather gulped and approached the center. If he was to choose between a large Kirara and his granddaughter, he'd pick the latter at the moment.  
  
"I was just trying to see if my new ofuda would work." He gulped and lowered his head like a little boy. "I didn't think she's get so angry."  
  
Everyone sighed except for Inuyasha, who was smirking with his arms crossed.  
  
"Inuyasha, help me clean up this mess."  
  
Now it's his turn to sigh.  
  
---End Flashback---  
  
Kagome came out with a tray full of ramen bowls. "I made extras for you guys. We should get started on homework after we finish."  
  
"Homework?" Whether it was even possible or not, Inuyasha had already finished one bowl and is midway through the second. He asked with his mouth full of ramen, his amber eyes sparkled innocently. Kagome giggled at the sight of the cute puppy.  
  
"Yup, now you'll see what I have to go through every school day."  
  
Miroku slurped his ramen contently. "Kagome-sama, Kouga told us to learn that thing 'basketball' from your little brother today. Where is the little Souta?"  
  
Kagome snapped her fingers. "Oh, I almost forgot about that. Mama went to pick up Souta and Shippo right now. I'll ask him when he comes back. I think he'll be delighted to help you guys."  
  
"Where's the old coot?" Kagome gathered that Inuyasha meant her grandfather.  
  
"Jii-chan's always disappearing somewhere." The feeling of a Shikon shard tickled her heart.  
  
"Nee-chan, we're back!!"  
  
"Kagome!!"  
  
Shippo transformed back to his miniature youkai size so he can jump on Kagome like always. The Shikon shard she gave to Shippo glimmer in his forehead.  
  
"Shippo-chan!" Kagome hugged the happy kitsune and stroked his tail. "Did you like Souta's school?"  
  
Shippo nodded with a huge smile. "During break, I showed everyone one of my magic tricks. And this girl gave half of her lunch!"  
  
Everyone laughed. Miroku patted Shippo on the head. "Looks like Inuyasha and I weren't the only ones attracting attention."  
  
Sango rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Souta. "Souta-kun, I hope Shippo wasn't too much trouble for you to look after."  
  
"Not at all!" Souta was looking ecstatic. "He was so cool in gym class, you should've seen how Shippo dodged all those balls during gym!!"  
  
"Where's mama?"  
  
"Oh, we saw jii-chan in the storage room so she went to drag him out of it." Souta picked up a bowl of ramen himself and started chomping on it. "Man, I'm starving!"  
  
"Houshi-sama, Houshi-sama!!!" Kagome's grandfather ran through the door and knelt before a very startled Miroku. He held out several pieces of paper in front of Miroku's face. "I found these ancient ofuda in the storage room, please, teach me a spell to use it!"  
  
Miroku's face faltered. Everyone looked at him expectantly. Miroku reached into some of his priest powers and studied the old man in front of him.  
  
'He has no powers at all.' Miroku groaned, not sure how to put the old man down. 'That's odd, considering how powerful Kagome-sama is. But I can't teach him if he doesn't even have a hint of magic within him. His ofuda aren't the problem, it's him.'  
  
"Umm... Higurashi-dono..." Miroku shifted. 'How do I put him down?'  
  
Kagome came to his rescue.  
  
"Jii-chan, Miroku is a very high leveled priest, and he can't reveal his secrets to anymore, or he'll die a very horrible death." Kagome lied through her teeth. 'Okay, this is really bad how I can lie without even blushing.'  
  
Sango stifled another giggle. Kagome's mother came into the room and began to watch the exchange with interest along with everyone else.  
  
Kagome's grandfather definitely looked sad now. Miroku couldn't help but feel sorry for the old man. "Umm... even though I can't tell you how to use them, I could give you a demonstration."  
  
The old man's eyes lit up again.  
  
Miroku grabbed the ofuda in the old man's hands, he closed his eyes and chanted a silent spell. "Inuyasha!"  
  
The hanyou wasn't listening to anything that happened in the past five minutes. He was happily slurping his sixth bowl of ramen when Miroku sudden called his name.  
  
"Bouzo, what... YOWL!!!"  
  
Then, as the ofuda made contact with Inuyasha's forehead, a purple lightening ran through his veins, and the sharp electricity sent him flying toward the wall. When the smoke died down, everyone was amazed that his ramen bowl was still upright and remained intact.  
  
"MIROKU, HOW COULD YOU!!!" Kagome jumped up and ran toward the sizzling hanyou. "O kami-sama, Inuyasha, are you alright? Where does it hurt?"  
  
Miroku was looking sheepishly, and Kagome's grandfather was about to bow down to the perverted monk. Sango slapped Miroku on the head for hurting Inuyasha. Shippo clapped and laughed. Souta was concerned for his hero as well. And Kagome's mother rushed toward the bathroom for their first-aid kit.  
  
"O no, Inuyasha, say something!" Inuyasha's eyes were swirling. It's not that he's weak, oh, no, Inuyasha's not weak at all. But the same can be said about Miroku's holy powers.  
  
"Don't worry, Kagome-sama," Miroku said to her nonchalantly, "Inuyasha will heal in less than an hour. I just shocked him a little, that's all."  
  
Kagome turned with her face down, he bangs covered her teary eyes. Normally she wouldn't care much about Inuyasha's health, since a hole in the stomach wouldn't even phase the hanyou. But today was special. Those words Inuyasha said in class ran through her mind like constant echoes.  
  
--- "Keep it. I already have a girlfriend, and I have no intention of dumping her anytime soon."  
  
"What? I'm not good enough for you?"  
  
"Pay attention, Kag, we're still in class." ---  
  
Kagome's head shot up instantly. She looked straight into Miroku's eyes and said to him in menace: "If Inuyasha doesn't recover soon, Miroku, I'll personally make sure that you never have children, ever!"  
  
Ai came down from upstairs with a first-aid kit in her hands. Kagome noticed her mother's entrance and went to help take care of a fainted Inuyasha.  
  
Miroku was a little shocked at first at Kagome's reaction. But as soon as he snapped out of it, he began to smile and went to sit next to Sango again.  
  
"Why are you so happy?" Shippo asked in his human form.  
  
Miroku winked at Sango. "I'd say I did a good thing."  
  
Sango sighed while she stroked Kirara's fur. But soon a smile broke out as well. "Hai, a very good thing."  
  
By dinner time, Inuyasha was awake and pissed. He and Miroku and a small duel behind the shrine house where all the other males went to watch and cheered. Kagome and Sango stayed with Ai in the kitchen to help make an unusually large dinner.  
  
"Wow, this house has never been so cheerful!" Ai cried out happily as everyone sat down for dinner.  
  
"Itadakimasu!" Everyone said in unison and dug in.  
  
"Oh, Souta," Kagome swallowed a tofu, "can you teach Miroku and Inuyasha how to play basketball after dinner?"  
  
Souta's face lit up, then died down. "But the nearest court is twenty minutes away, and we can't go to the one in school at this time."  
  
Kagome bit her lip. Inuyasha noticed her troubled expression. "Keh, why do we have to learn this thing anyway?"  
  
"If you ask me, I'd say Kouga is planning to do this 'basketball' tomorrow in gym." Miroku answered.  
  
"Keh, Kouga's an idiot." Inuyasha snapped back. "And I'm still not talking to you!"  
  
"Hai, hai." Miroku sighed and shook his head.  
  
Inuyasha was debating within himself whether to thank the monk or not. He had been semi unconscious after Miroku's little "demonstration, but awake enough to smell Kagome's tears and sense her worries. It wasn't everyday that he gets Kagome to fuss over him like that.  
  
'I bet if I asked, she would've lent me her lap again.' Inuyasha slapped himself in his mind. 'Damn, I really am turning into Miroku.'  
  
"Oh, I know!" Souta suddenly yelled and caught everyone's attention. "I could show them Slam Dunk*!"  
  
Kagome clapped her hands. "O that's right!"  
  
"Slam what?"  
  
"Slam Dunk, Souta owns the entire DVD collection. It's a pretty old anime that deals with a bunch of basketball players in high school." Kagome chewed her food happily. "I watched a few episodes of it. It explains the rules of basketball, so you'll understand by tomorrow."  
  
"Goshisousama!" Souta dumped his bowl into the sink. "I'll go set up the DVD Player right away!"  
  
Kagome and Sango laughed at Souta's excitement.  
  
"Sango-chan and I will be doing homework while you guys watch Slam Dunk." Kagome finished her last bites. "Goshisousama! But don't forget to come up and finish your homework."  
  
Inuyasha grumbled. 'Damn, so she's not going to be watching it with us.'  
  
Just as Kagome and Sango were about to go up, Miroku jumped up and grabbed Sango's hand. "I'll miss you, my sweet Sango." How he managed to say such things with a straight face intrigued Sango to no extent.  
  
"Hai, hai." Sango swatted his hands away and followed Kagome to her room.  
  
~*~*~ 4 hours later, 10:00 p.m. ~*~*~  
  
"Whoa, that Rukawa** guy is good!" Inuyasha's eyes were glued to the TV set.  
  
"But Sendou*** is better!" Miroku fired back. "See how he managed to make a perfect shot while jumping backwards? I bet Rukawa can't do that!"  
  
"Just because he hasn't tried doesn't mean he can't!" Inuyasha shouted at the top of his lungs.  
  
"Yea, well, Rukawa's attitude reminds me of Sesshomaru." Miroku shouted back with a smirk. Inuyasha's face dropped right away. 'I knew that would get him.'  
  
"Don't mention my bastard of a..."  
  
"Both of you, stop shouting!!!" Sango and Kagome's voices reached their ears. The two guys turned around and saw that "their girls" were already dressed for sleep.  
  
"Souta, turn that off!" Kagome commanded her little brother. The little guy was watching his two favorite heroes debating over anime characters when her sister and her nice friend interrupted. "You guys have been at it for 4 hours straight. None of you have done your homework!"  
  
Souta shut the TV off. "I don't have homework!"  
  
Sango pointed at the two older guys. "But they do! Souta-kun, please take them up to your room and make them finish their homework."  
  
"No, they better come to my room, I don't trust them." Kagome sneered at them. "We'll watch you guys finish. Then both of you will take a bath and go to sleep!"  
  
Inuyasha and Miroku both sighed and followed the girls up. But as the girls turned their backs, they both grabbed Souta and whispered: "We continue this tomorrow."  
  
Souta nodded with a grin and went to clean up the discs.  
  
^_^  
  
"Hey, my darling Sango, Kagome-sama" Miroku turned on his charm to full mode. He faced the two girls who were sitting cross-legged on Kagome's bed and pleaded, "Since we're in almost every single class, how about you let us copy?"  
  
Kagome couldn't believe her ears. 'Miroku fit in this world so well. He's exactly like a teen boy!'  
  
Sango smiled back mockingly and gave him the simplest answer: "no."  
  
"Please?"  
  
"No? And get your hand off my leg!" A loud smacking sound filled the room.  
  
Inuyasha dragged Miroku aside by his ears and plopped down on Kagome's chair while Miroku sat in the extra chair Kagome made him bring up earlier for Sango.  
  
"Shut up and let's get this over with." Inuyasha reached into his briefcase. "Oi, Kagome, what's our homework?"  
  
Kagome gave him a deadpan look. "You didn't copy it down?"  
  
"I wasn't listening half the time!"  
  
Kagome growled and took out her notepad. "I can give you most of the assignments, but what are you going to do about Asian Literature?"  
  
Inuyasha shrugged. "I know everything about that stupid Genji book anyway."  
  
Kagome and Sango sighed. 'This is going to be a long night.'  
  
After a good two hours of growls, frustrations, smacks, sits, tearing up papers, Inuyasha and Miroku were finally able to finish their homework.  
  
"Now go take a bath!" Kagome barked at them, her patience has surpassed her limit. It was now midnight, and her room was filled with papers that Inuyasha tore up in his frustration at the trigonometry problems.  
  
"Ah, Kagome-sama, would you like to join me?" A glint in Miroku's violet eyes angered all the other three people in the room. By the time Inuyasha went to the bathroom for his bath, Miroku has already fainted from the abuse.  
  
"This place is a mess!" Sango walked all over the room to collect the garbage. Kagome packed the boys' homework into their briefcases.  
  
"He's... heavy..." Sango shoved Miroku aside and set up her futon. She and Kagome climbed into their beds but refused to sleep while the monk was still in their room.  
  
"Oi, bouzo, your turn!" A Inuyasha in Kagome's father's old pajamas walked into the girls' room and woke up Miroku. He grunted and walked back to Souta's room to pry for more information on future episodes of Slam Dunk.  
  
"Huh, what?" Miroku got up with a headache and went to take his bath as well.  
  
"Finally!" Sango yawned and turned off the light. "Oyasumi, Kagome-chan!"  
  
Kagome gave no response, for she was already asleep.  
  
"Inuyasha, where are our briefcases?" Miroku interrogated from his spot at the door. Inuyasha looked up from a manga Souta lent him and shrugged. "Ah, then I must retrieve them from Kagome-sama's room!"  
  
"Oh no, you don't!" Inuyasha jumped in front of the monk. He pushed Miroku back and walked toward Kagome's door instead. "You, stay!"  
  
"Hey, you're the dog here." Miroku flung up his hands in defense as Inuyasha looked like he was about to beat him up, again.  
  
The door creaked and Inuyasha stepped in as quietly as possible. Kagome and Sango's relaxed heartbeats reassured him that they were both asleep. He stepped over Sango's body on the floor and approached Kagome's desk where he saw the two briefcases. For once he was glad that he was able to see so clearly in the dark.  
  
"Inu... yasha..." Kagome's moans reached his ears. With their briefcases in hand, Inuyasha jumped gracefully to Kagome's side. She was asleep, calling him in her dreams again. "Inu... yasha... help me... help!"  
  
Kagome's breathing sped up, her brows furrowed together. Her legs twitched under the bed covers.  
  
"Kagome, don't worry, I'm right here." Inuyasha set the briefcases on the floor and grabbed Kagome's twitching hand. As soon as he made contact, Kagome relaxed a bit.  
  
"Inuyasha... it hurts..." Kagome moaned again, she clutched Inuyasha's hand tighter.  
  
'What's she dreaming about?' He had a good guess. Inuyasha sighed and placed his other hand on her forehead. His thumb stroked her skin gently. The hanyou leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "Everything's fine, I won't let them hurt you again."  
  
"Inuyasha..." Kagome still twitched.  
  
"Shh..." Inuyasha stood up and sat on the side of her bed. With only his left hand, he picked up Kagome's upper body and leaned it against his own chest. He wrapped his left arm around the girl and stroked her arm gently. His right hand still held on to hers.  
  
Kagome became quiet. Inuyasha looked down at her sleeping face and guilt was overwhelming him. 'I wasn't there...'  
  
"Is she alright?" Sango's sudden voice interrupted his mind.  
  
Inuyasha's heart jolted. He looked at the now awake Sango, and his face flushed. "Umm... yea, she's asleep now."  
  
Sango said nothing.  
  
"I promised that I'd protect her always."  
  
Sango nodded but said nothing for quite a while. Finally...  
  
"Then start now."  
  
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Stay with her tonight."  
  
He nodded.  
  
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*Slam Dunk is a real anime, and one of my favorites. 

**Rukawa, a main character from Slam Dunk. He's similar to Sesshomaru because their both mega-hot, but also cold and almost never smile. Rukawa is dedicated to basketball as Sesshomaru is dedicated to hunting down Naraku. 

***Sendou is Rukawa's archenemy. But he's not cold to everyone and is very deep. He's really good at basketball, and is probably one of the few guys in high school that can beat Rukawa.  
  
I LOVE SLAM DUNK! I LOVE BASKETBALL!!! GO LAKERS!!!  
  
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!


	10. Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave

Review responses:  
  
Wakadori Ramen - *evil grin* It's always fun to tease gullible people. I know Miroku seems like he doesn't care, but if you've watched the episode where a lord tells Sango that he loved her, right in front of Miroku, you would've seen the same expression. Miroku care, a lot, in his own heart, but he couldn't reveal it. No matter how much he likes Sango, he can't be selfish and tell her that. Because they might not destroy Naraku in time, and he could die any day. He doesn't want to be selfish and doesn't want to hurt Sango. That's why if Sango shows interest (not that she likes Yamato or anything), he'll support her, even if he's hurting on the inside.  
  
Sizzlinghotcat - love your penname.  
  
Amelle - *getting starry eyed because people like my story*  
  
Hiei is mine forever - who's hiei?  
  
Mandypanchan - yea, I updated really soon that time. But this time it took me a week. Slow updates, another effect of hunger.  
  
Chiruken - hehe, sorry, now I know you're chiruken and not chicken, though I really really like chicken, my favorite meat in the world. Lol, I'm weird, I know. Kagome's mother, she doesn't know.  
  
Lady Hawke2 - hehehehe. Read!  
  
MingLay - you know, I had a dream that Inuyasha was my boyfriend, and he sang me to sleep. Hehehehe, can you imagine Inuyasha singing? Lakers rule!!!!!  
  
Hinoke - Sorrrrrry!!!  
  
Kenkaya - I wished I lived in LA so I can celebrate with lakers fanatics. And I'm a fanatic. I have their poster right next to my bed, and I have a Lakers cup, and a Lakers book bag. LOL. And if someone says anything bad about them, I really do try to kill them. But I live here, so most people like the Knicks (blegh). Loved your compliments, as usual. And you wrote those poems? Wow, talent.  
  
Angel452 - read and find out.  
  
Ever Happy - now you know how I felt. hehe, you liked the double update, eh? I went crazy last week.  
  
Bluefuzzyelf - yea, I know. Inuyasha is supposed to surprise Toji as much as possible. *Montgomery Burns finger tap move* this is gonna be fun.  
  
Three-Letter-Word - it's supposed to be weird. But if we like anime, why can't they?  
  
Zonza - lol, give her a break. I'll try to change your mind later on about the Mikagi siblings.  
  
Pia Bartolini- *gasp* You've watched Slam Dunk!!! *hugs* Lakers rule, Shohoku rules, Rukawa rules, Hanamichi rules!!! I love them all. O yea, Mitsui too!  
  
Toku-chan - lol, read my reply to MingLay.  
  
Celestia - aww, you called me Mizu-chan!!! I liked being called "chan".  
  
Sarah - calm girl. It'll be okay, calm down.  
  
YoukaiLover - Inuyasha... *sigh* if only he was real.  
  
Sango14120 - I'm taking your suggestion. And so people should thank you for the fluff in the beginning of this chapter.  
  
Dark Whispers - Anime and Basketball are my life. And since Rukawa is a combination of basketball and anie, he is also my life. Lol, yes, I have no life.  
  
Pimmy-chan - I've chewed my way out of that straitjacket!!! Bwahahaha, fear me!!!  
  
Michael - Ahh, sorry this chapter took so long. But don't worry, unless I die, this fic won't vanish.  
  
MomyRogers - Inuyasha is such a dear when he wants to be.  
  
Neko-sama2- I shall obey, Neko-sama, and here's the update.  
  
D-chan2 - *groans* I was going to do that. Are you psychic as well?  
  
Kitsune Hanyou - I couldn't update last weekend, but this weekend should do, how's school? I go back in a week.  
  
Rogue Pryde - I can't believe ROGUE PRYDE reviewed my story! I have a thing for all the fic authors on iridescent-dreams. So thank you so much , rogue pryde, love your story. *starry eyed* And I'll say it again, anime and basketball are my life!!!  
  
Princess Athelia - let this chapter relief you from your school pains.  
  
Majel -hahaha, I have another crazed fan. Yup, life's good when readers beg you for updates.  
  
Kagome-chan15 - omg, girl, sleep!!! Anyway, you must watch Slam Dunk. Even if you don't like basketball, I guaranteed you that you'll fall in love with basketball after you watch Slam Dunk!  
  
LediShae - Of course I am. I never break a promise. And thank you so much for reading Lucky Seven!! It's my first fic, and it's not as good as this one. But I tried.  
  
Celesta1- you've gotta give Sango a break. I mean, Miroku flirts with every woman from the age range of 11 to 40. Sango has a lot to put up with. And in this chapter, they have another fight. And the whole Sango/Miroku thing won't be fixed until much later. Don't kill me for it, I'm just trying to be as realistic as possible. here's not much meaning behind Sango's bracelet besides the fact that Miroku bought it for her. It's just a sweet gesture from the monk.  
  
Kuroi Shinzou - lol, that was the simplest review ever, even though it was so long. God bless copy and paste.  
  
Kagome-chan14 - I got a review from 15, and now from 14. Now where's Kagome- chan 13? And how many Kagome-chans are out there?  
  
ME - if you're a Miroku fan, then I should get away from you. Please don't kill me after reading this chapter.  
  
   
Anywayz, chapter 10!  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter 10: "Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave"  
**  
The clock read 6.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes opened slightly, a head of raven hair caught his attention. His entire body was sore from sitting up all night with no wall to support his back. Kagome lied in his arms, their rights hands still connected, and his left arm was wrapped around her stomach.  
  
'What am I doing?' Inuyasha woke completely as Kagome's scent hit him full blow. 'Oh, right, she was having a nightmare. Damn, I fell asleep.'  
  
It was impossible not to fall asleep. He had stayed awake earlier. Sango didn't mind him being in the room, and Kagome was finally at peace. He nodded off soon after one in the morning. Kagome's warmth pierced through his pajamas. The feeling of her soft skin made him drowsy. Her head fit perfectly in his neck. And so, without notice, Inuyasha fell asleep with his head on top of Kagome's.  
  
'I gotta get out of here before she wakes.' Inuyasha attempted to shift Kagome, but his own body wasn't obeying. Mostly because he didn't wants to let go. 'How come Miroku didn't come get me?'  
  
After a long time of trying, Inuyasha was finally able to move. As his feet reached the floor, his left arm propped up Kagome's upper body and laid her onto the bed. With a last look at the hand in his, Inuyasha let go reluctantly and fixed her bed covers.  
  
'She's drooling.' Inuyasha grinned without realizing it. He swept away a strand of hair on Kagome's face. He tried to move away, but his feet were planted firmly into the floor. There's something else he must do.  
  
'She looks so peaceful.' Inuyasha blushed at the thought of what he was about to do. 'She's my girlfriend now, right? A potential mate. Nothing to worry about.'  
  
Inuyasha perked up his invisible ears for good measure. He bent down Kagome's sleeping body and planted a soft kiss on each of her eye lids. Kagome's body shivered at the sudden contact, and Inuyasha can hear her heart speeding up.  
  
'O crap, she's waking up!' Inuyasha grabbed the two suitcases by the bed and made a quick yet silent dash for the door.  
  
Kagome woke as soon as Inuyasha disappeared. She yawned and wiped away the water near her lips. 'I haven't drooled since I was little.' She amused herself and began to think back to her very odd dream. She had dreamed that the Mikagi siblings were after her again. It was more of a memory. They were cutting her again, and it had hurt so much.  
  
'Then Inuyasha came and rescued me.' Inuyasha saved her from the demons in her nightmare. Kagome sighed at the thought and smiled. For some reason, she felt so warm, especially her back. Kagome snuggled into her pillow and closed her eyes. She didn't have to wake for another half an hour. And so she closed her eyes and hoped for the dream to continue.  
  
^_~  
  
Inuyasha sighed in relief as he shut the door behind him. He was back in Souta's room again. The little boy was snoring on his bed. Shippo was in his kitsune state to save space and was sleeping on top of Miroku's stomach. The hentai monk was snoring even louder.  
  
'Hope they won't suspect.' Inuyasha tiptoed quietly over to his futon, lied down and closed his eyes. Kagome's lingering scent was all over him. Inuyasha inhaled deeply and allowed sleep to take over.  
  
^_^  
  
Kagome and Souta's alarm clocks rang at the same time. Everyone woke with a start, especially the hanyou.  
  
Inuyasha opened his eye and saw purple and orange. 'What the...'  
  
Looking down at Inuyasha were Shippo and Miroku. Actually, Shippo was standing on his head and Miroku was punching his stomach.  
  
"Ow! Shippo, get off!" Inuyasha sat up and sent Shippo flying into a grinning monk's arms. "Miroku, what the hell?!"  
  
Miroku just kept on grinning. Inuyasha stood up and ignored him. Just as he was about to walk out, Souta stopped him by standing between him and the door.  
  
"What're you doing, brat?" Inuyasha growled slightly.  
  
Souta stuck up his chest. "You've got to take responsibilities, Inu-no- niichan!"  
  
"What the fuck are you talking about?!"  
  
Miroku cut in. "Don't think we don't know, Inuyasha." He waved his index finger. "You must take responsibilities for whatever you were doing last night in Kagome-sama's room."  
  
Inuyasha first blushed beet red, then he frowned and went into anger crimson. "Get a brain, bouzo, a clean one! And Sango was in there too! I wouldn't..."  
  
Miroku shook his head and sighed. "You know how I feel for my sweet Sango. But I don't mind spoiled meat. If you allow me a spin on Kagome-sama, then we'll be even."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes rolled over and he fainted on the spot.  
  
Souta, Shippo and Miroku all crowded around him. Kagome's little brother started to laugh while pointing at Inuyasha's white eyes. "I can't believe he fainted!"  
  
Miroku sighed again. "He was never the one to take a joke."  
  
Souta went on laughing but Shippo seemed angry. "Miroku, how can you talk about Kagome like that?! And Souta, he was talking about your sister!"  
  
This only made Souta laugh more. Miroku defended himself. "I was only joking. Besides, I know Inuyasha would never do anything like that. He must've had a reason for staying in Kagome-sama's room all night. I just wanted to see his reaction."  
  
Miroku stood up and walked toward the door. "Well, I'll get dressed and washed up. Why don't you two stay here and try to wake him. We still have school."  
  
Miroku opened the door with a grin, only to meet the face of a scowling Sango. "Ah, my dear..."  
  
Sango slapped him, hard. "YOU PERVERT!!"  
  
"Sango, how much did you hear?" Miroku's grin disappeared.  
  
"SO I'M MEAT, HUH?!?!" Sango was fuming. She toned down a bit and slapped Miroku again. "You're just lucky that Kagome-chan is in the bathroom and can't hear what you said. 'Take a spin'?! Where did you learn that phrase?!"  
  
Miroku was quite stunned. Sango wasn't just hitting him playfully like usual. She was really angry this time. He wasn't able to say anything for a long while. But Sango didn't stop there.  
  
"YOU PERVERT, I HATE YOU!" Sango turned and opened the door to Kagome's room. Miroku's voice caught her just before she went in.  
  
"Yes, Yamato-kun would suit you so much better." Miroku's voice was calm, and his face showed no emotions. It was a statement, a matter of fact. His words left Sango stunned. He turned around and went into Souta's room once more. The two didn't talk for the rest of the morning.  
  
-_-'  
  
It was just another school day. Girls followed the group on their way to school, in the shoe changing area, to their homerooms. But they all stopped as soon as Inuyasha joined the group for math. Word got out that he already had a girlfriend, and only the really brave (slutty) girls still went after him. Most kept their distance and admired him from afar.  
  
Soon math was over and science class started. Miroku bid them goodbye and went to his third grade earth science classroom.  
  
"Do we have to cut up worms again today?" Inuyasha leaned back so that only the two hind legs of his chair were on the ground.  
  
Kagome had her body turned so she can face him. She smiled warmly at the hanyou and shook her head. "Nope, we're staying here. We only have lab once a week."  
  
Next to Kagome, Sango kept to herself. She flipped through the pages of her biology book, but her eyes were distant. Miroku's words haunted her. Instead of staying mad at him, a sense of guilt caught up with her.  
  
Kagome glanced at her best friend wearily. 'Something's up. Sango-chan hasn't smiled all morning. Neither has Miroku.'  
  
"Oi, Inuyasha." Kagome whispered while cupping her mouth. She made sure that no human can hear her.  
  
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her sudden change of attitude. But he heard her loud and clear.  
  
"Did something happen between Sango-chan and Miroku?" Kagome continued to whisper.  
  
Inuyasha growled softly, his mind flashed back to his little "conversation' with Miroku earlier that morning. He was still mad at the monk, but also knew that the monk liked to joke. But Sango? Inuyasha shrugged.  
  
The bell finally rang, and Kouga/Tomoeda sensei entered carrying a projector and a giant biology book. Kagome turned around at his entrance. But Inuyasha remained in the same position. He scoffed at Kouga and folded his hands behind his head.  
  
Koga smiled his way. Something about his smile sent chills down Inuyasha's spine. He set the projector down effortlessly and started his lecture immediately.  
  
"Now, class," Kouga's announced, "we're finally done with the digestive system. Today, we're moving on to a new topic." He smiled at Inuyasha again. "I know normally, you wouldn't learn this until next year, but it's always good to get prepared." Kouga went around the room to close the shades and to dim the lights.  
  
"Today," Kouga announced proudly. He pressed the on button and the projector lighted up. The entire class became silent as the picture of a naked woman and a naked man showed up on the white screen. "We learn abut the reproduction system!!"  
  
In the back of the classroom, a loud crash was heard, along with a loud "fuck!". Everyone turned around and saw that Inuyasha had fallen onto the floor. Kouga chuckled and whispered to Inuyasha: "This is for insulting me yesterday afternoon".  
  
Inuyasha got up in a hurry. His eyes went over the pictures of the naked people and blushed crimson. The entire class was looking at him, but he didn't care. Immediately his hands went to cover up Kagome's eyes.  
  
"Kagome, don't look!" Inuyasha yelled in a panic. 'What kind of revenge is this?! Damn wolf, I'll kill him!'  
  
Kagome struggled. Inuyasha's big hands not only covered her eyes, but also her nose. "Inuyasha, I can't breathe!" Kagome blushed as well, knowing that she was the center of attention again. 'This is ridiculous! Why is Kouga teaching us the reproduction system if he knows how the people from the past feel about this?'  
  
Next to Kagome, Sango's distant eyes weren't so distant anymore. She was caught between staring at Inuyasha, and the naked body of a man on the white screen. A single thought flowed through her mind: 'kami-sama, we're lucky Houshi-sama isn't here!' Then she slapped herself mentally. 'Don't think about that bastard!'  
  
Kouga is not done yet, but he shut off the machine temporarily.  
  
Inuyasha stared into Kouga's eyes with menace as he slowly released Kagome. The girl sighed in relief. The entire class, with the exception of Inuyasha and a blushing Sango, were looking her way with amusement. Suddenly she had the urge to "sit" him.  
  
Kouga cleared his throat and tried to prevent himself from laughing. "Taisho-kun, is there a problem with us learning the reproduction system?"  
  
Inuyasha looked down at a fuming Kagome and gulped. He growled once more at Kouga, fixed his chair, and sat back down.  
  
"I'll take that as a no." Kouga snickered in his head. "But the graphics can't be skipped. After all, this stuff isn't in your textbooks." Kouga enjoyed Inuyasha's blush as he turned the machine back on. Then he began to point at each *ahem* absent-mindedly.  
  
The girls in the class were all blushing, some looked down, and others mentally replaced the male face with Inuyasha's. With Inuyasha as an exception, all the guys were snickering. An hour and a half in such a class, o joy (science is two periods).  
  
Behind Kagome, Inuyasha was tense. Every time Kagome looked up from her notebook, he would growl and plan Kouga's untimely death. And he kept his eyes on her the whole time, completely oblivious to the looks he was getting from girls around the room.  
  
'Just keep your eyes somewhere else, Kagome.' The young miko repeated in her head over and over. 'Hey, this picture of a flower looks nice, let's concentrate on this.' Kagome was trying not to look at the naked man. Because every time her eyes slip, images would pop up, images of a naked hanyou which she has seen many times before by accident.  
  
Sango wasn't having an easy time either. One person's face was in her mind, it's been in there all day. His words haunted her, over and over. 'Was he jealous? No, he's never jealous, not even when that lord proposed to me (spoilers, this really happened, a lord really proposed to Sango, in front of Miroku. The monk acted like it was nothing to him, but inwardly, Miroku was happy that Sango said no.).' Sango frowned. 'He was only joking... right? But the words he used! He's supposed to be a monk!' Then another little voice in the back of her head questioned her: 'when has he ever acted like a monk?'  
  
Sango sighed and rubbed her temples. It was going to be a long day.  
  
The break between periods came. Kouga finally shut the projector off. He grinned for the last time at a red Inuyasha, and dashed to his office to get something. The class was silent for once, even though the hallway outside was noisy. Some girls were whispering to each other, their supposedly silent discussions made Inuyasha blush even more.  
  
Kagome and Sango wouldn't turn around to face him, and he was glad for that. Suddenly the door opened and a girl walked toward his direction. Inuyasha grimaced, 'not another note!'  
  
Instead, the girl only winked at him and leaned over Kagome's desk.  
  
"Oh, hey, Yuka-chan!" Inuyasha turned his head away to watch the birds outside, but his invisible dog ears perked toward the girl in front him.  
  
The girl called Yuka smiled at Kagome and greeted her. "Hi, Kagome-chan, Sango-chan, why is your room so quiet?"  
  
Everyone heard Yuka's question, and most girls blushed again. Kagome and Sango blushed and faked a laugh.  
  
"Anyway," Yuka's face suddenly turned serious, "Kagome-chan, where were you yesterday? You ditched us again."  
  
Kagome was confused at first, then she suddenly groaned and slapped her forehead. "Oh, I forgot about WacDonald's. I was just..."  
  
Yuka grinned evilly. "Oh, I get it, you were with your new boyfriend." Yuka winked at her friend and nodded her head toward the boy behind Kagome. "Taisho Inuyasha-kun, I presume, you reputation proceed you." She bowed slightly.  
  
Kagome frowned at her friend's choice of words. But a "keh" from the boy behind her caught her attention.  
  
Inuyasha looked at Yuka before slowly nodding his head, his equivalent of a bow. Yuka giggled at his reaction. She bent down next to Kagome's ear and whispered, thinking that Inuyasha couldn't hear: "I'm so glad you got rid of that violent and arrogant boyfriend. Taisho-kun is so cute!"  
  
Inuyasha growled at the "cute" part. 'What's with girls these days? I'm not supposed to be cute!' It took him a while to register Yuka's words. 'Wait... what violent and arrogant boyfriend? She had a boyfriend before me!?!'  
  
Kagome chuckled nervously in front of him. And he was about to explode. The idea of a secret past didn't sound appealing to the hanyou. The possessive part of him kicked in, and Inuyasha has always thought of Kagome as completely devoted to him and him only.  
  
'She's got some explaining to do!'  
  
The bell rang and Yuka left. Kouga came back in with his evil grin, ready to torture his class, mainly Inuyasha, once again. But Inuyasha paid him no attention this time. He was too pissed off to notice anything that was going around him.  
  
^_~  
  
Science ended and Inuyasha left with nothing except a growl to his friends. Kouga grinned some more at the hanyou's attitude and left too with a half apologetic smile to the girls.  
  
Kagome and Sango took their time packing up, each with their own awkward thoughts in mind. The two girls walked out toward the boys' gym class together.  
  
The class was already assembled. Kouga was taking attendance. Like usual, Mikagi Akiko was with her friends, observing her brother's class. Because of the activities from the day before, now every first grader is crowding around the field. Kagome and Sango arrived late, if it weren't for Yuka who saved them a spot up front, they wouldn't have been able to see anything at all.  
  
Miroku didn't go up to greet them yesterday, and he was actually staying in one spot instead of walking around flirting with girls outside the fences. Sango gazed at him with a faraway expression.  
  
Kouga/Tomoeda sensei blew his whistle to quiet down his class and the crowd around.  
  
"We won't be continuing our Karate demonstrations due to certain... technicalities." Kouga said it loud enough so everyone around can hear him. A uniformed groan could be heard from the crowd, and some people even left.  
  
"So today we'll be going back to regular activities." Kouga pointed to a wheel cart with a few basketballs on it, "We're going to play basketball." Kouga announced with an evil glint, a glint that was evident on his face during his little reproduction lesson.  
  
"We'll be playing games, that means five on five. The team that reaches ten points first wins. And the winners will play with the next five. If some people won't get to play today, we'll continue tomorrow." Kouga reached for a ball behind him and spun it on his index finger like an expert. "I'll let you choose your own teams. Remember, five people per team."  
  
It didn't take long for the students to divide themselves up. Toji was with some members of his gang, including Marusato. Nobody dared to invite Miroku or Inuyasha onto their teams, due to the fact that they probably angered Toji yesterday.  
  
"Looks like we're not so popular with the males in this school, Inuyasha." Miroku joked as he and Inuyasha were the last two standing without teams.  
  
"Keh, as if I..." Before Inuyasha can finish, a boy their age (well, not exactly their age) with dark skin ran up to them and stuck out his hand.  
  
"Hi, I'm Yamaguchi Kappei*." The boy smiled. Miroku shook his hand with some mild surprise. The boy ignored it and went on talking. "We only have three people on our team, would Taisho-kun and Houshi-kun like to play on our team?"  
  
Inuyasha "keh"ed again and turned his head away. Miroku smiled at the boy and nodded.  
  
^_~  
  
"Wow, Kappei is brave." Ayumi remarked as everyone saw Inuyasha and Miroku follow that boy to a corner of the field.  
  
"You know that guy, Ayumi-chan?" Kagome snapped herself out of her daze. She was slightly hurt for Inuyasha when no one invited him to be on their team. Kagome looked at the short boy with the messy hair and a wrinkled smile. 'I have to thank that guy later.'  
  
Ayumi nodded with an innocent smile. "He's my cousin. And he absolutely hates Mikagi Toji. I think he invited them to play with him to spite Toji. And he's a good guy."  
  
^_~  
  
Kouga was hesitant the day before about hurting his students. But basketball is not as dangerous. The former wolf prince grinned from ear to ear and yelled: "Let the first game begin! Yamaguchi-kun's team versus Mikagi-kun's team!"  
  
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at Kouga. 'Does he want us to beat that bastard in a stupid game? How the hell would that hurt him?'  
  
Kouga was still grinning. He felt Inuyasha's confusion and uncertainty. He whispered into the wind: "For a guy like that, hurt his pride is even better than actually hurting him."  
  
Inuyasha grumbled a "whatever" and followed Yamaguchi to the center of the painted field. On the two opposite ends were basketball hoops in standard height. Toji's team was already in position. Marusato was center, and Toji played forward.  
  
"Mikagi's guys are all pretty tall and fast," Yamaguchi and his friends huddled together to form a strategy. "I've seen them play before, they're practically pros."  
  
"Don't matter," Miroku stated in a matter of fact kind of tone, "Inuyasha and I are good too."  
  
Inuyasha snorted. 'Just because we've watched 4 hours of an anime about basketball doesn't make us good.'  
  
Miroku nudged Inuyasha and winked. But Yamaguchi seemed delighted. He pointed to his other two friends. "I always play point-guard, I'm short and that actually helps. Takeru here is tall, and he can play small forward. Inuyasha-kun and Miroku-kun, you guys can handle forward. And Shuuichi is strong and can jump, let him play center."  
  
Miroku shook his head. He pushed Inuyasha forward. "Inuyasha should play center. No one is as strong and can jump as high as this guy. Shuuichi-kun and I will handle forward."  
  
The slightly bigger boy named Shuuichi looked at Inuyasha skeptically, "can you do it?"  
  
"Keh." That said it all.  
  
"Alright, let's do this!" Yamaguchi went to the sides and smiled at his teammates.  
  
Inuyasha growled slightly as he went to the center of the field to stand right in front of Marusato. Just like Miroku, Inuyasha was only up to Marusato's chest. But Inuyasha didn't care, there was a more important thing to focus on at the moment. Like that former boyfriend Kagome's friend was talking about.  
  
'How many boyfriends have she had?' Inuyasha was still thinking as the boy in front of his crack his knuckles. 'And why should I play center against this idiot? I wanna play forward like Rukawa and kick Toji's butt! And Kagome is watching too, hope she realizes that I'm so much better than her last boyfriend and ...'  
  
Kouga has already blew his whistle and threw the ball upward. The sudden whistle threw Inuyasha off for a millisecond and Marusato has already jumped. The big oaf swatted the ball toward Toji, who was waiting for it.  
  
'Crap!' Inuyasha snapped himself out of his daydream and cursed silently as Toji moved slightly to the right to catch the ball. 'Oh no, don't even think about it!'  
  
But before Toji's hand made contact with the ball, Inuyasha used his hanyou speed and rushed to intercept it.  
  
'Ha, got it!' The crowd gave a loud 'oohh' as Inuyasha caught the ball with his left hand. 'Now, the hoop.' Inuyasha smiled arrogantly and started to dribble toward the opponent's hoop. Toji and his team snapped into defense, and Yamaguchi was yelling something about passing.  
  
Inuyasha darted forward with only air in hand. The crowd groaned and the hanyou looked down at his hand. "Fuck, where's the ball!"  
  
Everyone was rushing toward the other direction by now. Among all the cheers and boos, Inuyasha could hear Yamaguchi ask Miroku: "Does Inuyasha- kun really know how to play? He can't even dribble."  
  
Inuyasha growled. 'Of course I don't know how to dribble. How can I when I never even touched a basketball in my life before?!?'  
  
"Inuyasha, hurry, defense!!" A frantic voice reached his ears. Inuyasha spun around and saw Kagome point to the other side, where Toji has stopped dribbling right outside the three-point line.  
  
'Aww, crap!' Inuyasha cursed inwardly again and darted for the other side. 'Can't... let... it... go in!!!'  
  
^_^  
  
Mikagi Akiko watched the game with that same arrogant grin. Her smiled widened as Toji positioned himself for a three-pointer. 'Too easy,' she thought to herself, 'once my brother shoots, nobody can stop it.'  
  
And that is why she almost fainted when she saw Inuyasha dash all the way from the other side of the field and swatted the ball toward his friend when the ball was in midair.  
  
'Fast...' One word was in everyone's mind.  
  
"How can he jump so high?"  
  
"O kami sama, did you see that?"  
  
"But he was all the way on the other side!"  
  
People were whispering again.  
  
^_^  
  
Miroku grinned at Yamaguchi's shocked expression and passed the ball that he caught to Takeru, another boy with wide eyes. Takeru caught the ball in time and dribbled for the opposite side.  
  
"Nice." Toji said to Inuyasha as he ran pass by, smile still intact. But the truth is, ever since Inuyasha intercepted the ball Marusato swatted to him, Toji has been nervous. No one has ever beaten he and his team at their favorite sport before, and Inuyasha was supporting his team all by himself. Yesterday Inuyasha was entertainment, today, he's a threat.  
  
There's no way to guard someone who can jump so high and run so fast. 'Then I guess we'll just have to shoot more.' Toji grimaced slightly. 'But he doesn't seem to know how to play. He's just going by instinct. We can't score because he's blocking our shots. But they can't score either because he can't play.'  
  
Lesson number one in basketball and any other sport: never underestimate your opponents.  
  
Takeru dribble under the basket and went in for a close shot. But a giant wall blocked him. Just as the ball left his hands, Marusato swatted it downward. But they didn't have a chance to celebrate, for Yamaguchi caught the ball just in time.  
  
"Inuyasha-kun!" Yamaguchi flung the ball toward the hoop. A silvery flash shot past Toji and jumped up.  
  
Just as the ball was a few centimeters away from the basket, Inuyasha caught it in midair and slammed it down.  
  
It was the most beautiful slam dunk Kagome has ever seen.  
  
Inuyasha hung on the basket with on hand, and he gave Yamaguchi a thumb up with the other hand.  
  
The crowd boomed.  
  
Kouga blew the whistle to calm down everyone. But he was doing a victory dance in his head as well (A/N: can anyone imagine Kouga doing a victory dance?).  
  
Toji, Marusato, and the rest of their team were now officially shocked. Toji's usual smile was gone, and Marusato no longer seemed threatening. Once the crowd calmed now, Inuyasha approached Toji, this time, with a smirk of his own.  
  
"Beat that, you bastard." Inuyasha pointed his index finger at Toji's chest.  
  
Toji blinked but soon caught his posture. "It's not nice to point fingers, Inuyasha-san." His smile was back. 'A challenge...'  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------  
  
*Slam Dunk: A lot of you guys said you wanted to check into Slam Dunk, and you have to! It's a really old anime, it came out after Ranma ½, and that's old. It's really popular in Asia, but not as much in the Americas. Anyone who loves basketball, hot bishies, and humor should check into this anime. It's serious sometimes too. And the two main characters acts so much like Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, it's scary. And the voice character for Rukawa, the one I'm obsessed with, is the same voice character for Tamahome from Fushigi Yuugi. And Miroku's voice character had a part in Slam Dunk too.  
  
*Detective (meitantei) Conan: Another wonderful anime. It's 6 years old now, and still running in Japan. I'll say something important about it the next update. But if you want to watch a good anime, this is it. It's nothing like those corny and stupidly easy detective shows. This is the real stuff. A criminal can commit perfect crimes if he/she follows the acts in this anime. And the main character is a 16 year old hottie trapped in a 6 year old's body. (there are 3 hotties in this anime, it's worth watching!)


	11. You're Mine

** Warning: Sango/Miroku fluff near the end, vomit-worthy.**

^_~

****

**Chapter 11: "You're Mine"**

Modern life isn't as nearly as exiting as life from 500 years ago. Of course, that's a common misconception, one which Kagome will never make again.

In the Sengoku Jidai, Kagome rarely got a day of peace. If it's not killing youkai or fighting Naraku, then it's putting up with Inuyasha's attitude and Miroku's "behavior".

The 20th century, however, is a time of peace. If you don't count the earthquakes and typhoons, life is relatively calm. You go to school, get good grades, meet friends, torture your younger siblings… and the best thing of all, you don't need to worry about hunger or lack of shelter (unless you're a homeless person).

But Higurashi Kagome is no beggar. And she does all those things listed above. Yes, her life in the modern era is peaceful, so peaceful that it's plain boring. Same routine, same "hey, how are you this morning", or "aw, I didn't get a good score on my trig test", or "wow, you're going out with _that _guy?". It's always been the same.

Damn this era. Why doe it have to be so boring?

Yep, common misconception.

It turned out that it's not "when" that matters, but "who".

Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango changed everything, and it took only 2 minutes of Kagome's time to realize that. All of which Inuyasha has spent on kicking **Mikagi**** Toji's** butt in a simple game of basketball.

First there was Inuyasha's breathtaking slam dunk. And we're not exaggerating the breathtaking part. One of Inuyasha's new fangirls, one with severe asthma, almost had to be rushed to the hospital. 

Sure, Kagome felt bad for the girl, but a part of her couldn't help but want to shout out to all of Inuyasha's admirers: "**INUYASHA'S MINE!!!**" Well, there is also this other teeny problem that went by the name "Kikyo", but no need to think about that right now.

The hanyou gained a lot more confidence after that first shot. He still couldn't dribble right, but Yamaguchi and the guys took care of that.

And so, Inuyasha dunked left and right. They kept using the same strategy: someone would throw the ball toward the hoop, regardless of whether it'll go in, Inuyasha then appears from nowhere, jumps to midair, grabs the ball while it's still in motion... and slams it down.

Kouga didn't think the hoop can take the dunks any longer.

Toji and his gang caught on after the second dunk, it was hard not to. But that didn't mean they were able to stop the crazed hanyou. Inuyasha was simply too fast and too furious.

And the worst part (or best) is that Toji couldn't get any shots in at all. Every time his teammates attempt to pass the ball, Inuyasha would intercept it. Every time they shoot, Inuyasha would block it.

It was frustrating beyond compare. And the fact that Inuyasha tried different dunking positions certainly didn't help.

He did the front, the back hand, the 360 degree full body spin, the windmill arm swing, and mostly, he did them all oh-so-gracefully.

Score: 9-0. Number of fainting girls: as if Kagome had time to count them all. What's priceless? The scowl on Toji's usually smiling face.

Inuyasha was having the time of his life. How can Kagome think of her time as boring anymore? It doesn't matter which era it is. As long as Inuyasha's with her, excitement is a guarantee.

And that's only Inuyasha.

^_^

'Can't let him have all the attention.' Miroku was slightly annoyed at the fact that he hadn't touched the ball for the past minute. He couldn't dribble and couldn't do those stunts like Inuyasha. 'Gotta catch Sango's attention somehow.'

You see, there's a side of Miroku that Sango never got to see: a gloomy side. While everyone expected him to be hitting on girls during his double periods away from the group, Miroku was actually sulking. Yes, sulking.

Miroku is definitely more clear-minded than a certain hanyou, because this monk knows what he wants. No matter how much the girls flirted with him, no matter how interesting metamorphic rocks were, Miroku could only pay attention to his own thoughts:

'I love her.'

It took him about two seconds into his earth science class to realize that. 

'But I can't tell her.'

Seems like everyone has that dilemma.

'She's safer with a normal human, one who doesn't have a wind tunnel in his palm and might suck her into oblivion.'

Now we know why he's concerned.

'And that Yamato boy seems nice. She'd be safe with him.'

Great, another Hojo, just what we need.

Yamaguchi dribbled the ball pass a dazed Miroku, and the monk tried desperately to shake himself out of his thoughts. 'Gotta focus on the game. I need to contribute somehow.'

Miroku turned half way and started to chase after Yamaguchi, and hoped to lend a hand. But as he looked up, Sango's misty eyes met his gaze.

Yes, misty.

The usually strong young woman stood next to her best friend, in one of Kagome's old school uniforms with her long hair in a ponytail. Next to her, Kagome was too busy watching Inuyasha to notice her friend's dilemma.

Miroku was looking straight into Sango's eyes, his own purple orbs lost all their light. The way that the monk looked at her, it made her want to break down and cry.

Miroku didn't smile at her this time. No winks either. He just paused for a while, and then moved on, expressionless. 

"Oi, Miroku!" Inuyasha shouted his name from not so far way, as if his hanyou friend noticed his change of attitude. Inuyasha smirked somewhat evilly at the monk, and sent chills down the monk's spine. Without a second warning, Inuyasha threw, not passed, but _threw_ the ball toward Miroku. 

"Ah!" Miroku cried out in panic as he focused just in time to catch the ball before it made contact with his nose. As soon as the ball was in his hands, Marusato moved into defensive mode in front of him. The big oaf moved rather rapidly, left and right with his arms waving about. He clearly didn't want Miroku to get an opportunity to pass.

Far behind Marusato's body, Inuyasha has already reached the basket. He waved his arms to signal Miroku, and waited for Miroku to throw the ball toward the basket so he can play his signature slam dunk.

'I've gotta do something new,' Miroku thought as he saw Toji went to block Inuyasha, 'our fans will be bored if we use the same strategy.'

Miroku glanced down at the ball in his hand, and then back to the bulk of meat in front of him. With a triumphant smile and a hint of sadness in his purple eyes, Miroku moved slightly to the right, his arms stretched out, ready to pass the ball to Inuyasha.

Perhaps Inuyasha knew his friend very well, or maybe he didn't read Miroku's movements like everyone else, but the hanyou made no effort to catch the ball. 

And it wasn't until Marusato shifted his body to block the pass that everyone noticed that Miroku didn't let go of the ball at all. Now that Marusato was out of his line of sight for the second, Miroku shifted back to position immediately and jumped upward. His arms bent back slightly, the ball at his fingertips, ready to be let out.

"He faked the pass, block the shot!!!" Toji screamed desperately as he saw Miroku move. Marusato used his speed and shifted back as well. The giant of a teenager jumped up as high as Miroku did, his arm reached forward, ready to swap the ball away...

Only to find that he couldn't reach.

'Sendou's signature move!' Inuyasha screamed inside his head as he saw Miroku's body bent back at a certain degree. It's a sure fire move to avoid being blocked by the defense. But the landing is hard since the player's body is bent backwards, and as the shooter lands, he might be pushed back a few feet by the laws of physics. But since an anime character achieved it, Miroku thought he would as well.

And so he did.

Maybe it was all the training Miroku received when he was younger, or maybe he had a nature talent for basketball. But that shot was absolutely perfect. Miroku saw Marusato's hand reach toward him, closer and closer...

_'Modern boys should learn your place...'_

Marusato couldn't touch the ball, when gravity was pulling him back down, Miroku let the ball fly with a slight push of his arm.

_'...I won't lose to any of you...'_

The ball traveled further and further, while revolving backwards around a horizontal axis at the same time.

_'...What's mine will be mine, what's not mine will never be mine...'_

The net was closer and closer.

_'...But now the question is... Is she meant to be mine?'_

_Swoosh_. 

_'...She has to be...'_

^_~

"That idiot."

"Sango-chan, what did you say?" Kagome yawned. Girls around them chatted happily about how the new guy with silvery hair beat Toji at basketball with a score of 10 to nothing the period before. After yesterday, their gym teacher, Mikagi sensei, no longer picked on them. Instead, she simply ignored Sango and Kagome. Mikagi Akiko was giving them weird looks, and Sonoko was about to blow a fuse.

Sango looked up from the half naked flower in her hand. She had picked half of its petals off unconsciously. Miroku's eyes continued to haunt her.

The exciting basketball game ended with Miroku's three-pointer. Maybe he hadn't noticed it, but he was just outside the three point line. Yamaguchi and the guys cheered, Inuyasha kept shooting murderous and gloating glances at Toji's direction. But Miroku, was staring intently at Sango.

Something changed after that last basket. Sango couldn't tell what it was. Before, his eyes were lifeless and empty. But afterwards, their violet lights of wisdom returned. It seemed as though the monk had reached Enlightenment, he looked like the time that Inuyasha decided to go to hell with Kikyo and was about to confront Kagome with his decision. Yes, that's it, that's the look, the look of determination.

'But what did that pervert decide?' 

It was bothering Sango too much. The youkai exterminator in disguise was confused without a doubt. Gym class was almost over, and Sango had yet to reach a plausible conclusion. So, in her undeniable confusion, Sango couldn't think of anything to say to herself except to call Miroku an idiot behind his back.

Kagome sighed when Sango didn't answer her question. In fact, her friend seemed to be out of commission most of the time today. Kagome looked into Sango's eyes, but the girl seemed so far away. 

And she wasn't the only one. Kagome had noticed it ever since they left the house that there was something going on between Sango and Miroku. Even if Inuyasha didn't seem to realize it, Kagome certainly did. It wasn't a normal fight, there was something else.

'Maybe Miroku-sama is actually jealous of Yamato-kun but wouldn't tell anyone.' Kagome guessed. It was rather unfortunate too. Since she and Inuyasha were getting so well for once. There just wasn't a day when all four of them can be happy with each other.

"Okay, go change!" Mikagi sensei shouted hoarsely and the girl's gym class traveled back to their locker room. Kagome trailed behind everyone, and Sango was even further behind. Kagome just realized that her friend hasn't smiled all day.

'I have to cheer her up, even if she doesn't want to tell me what's going on.' Kagome made up her mind and ran toward Yuka and Emi. 

"Hey guys, are we still meeting after school today?"

Yuka chuckled. "Aren't you going to walk home with your _boyfriend_?"

Kagome blushed. "I want to take Sango-chan out to see the city, without the guys tagging along."

"Aww, too bad Taisho-kun and Houshi-kun won't be coming." Emi pouted.

"Uh, yea..." Kagome sweat-dropped. "Um, where's Ayumi-chan?"

"She's sulking." Yuka chuckled even more. "She's a little jealous at you for having such a great boyfriend. I don't think she'll want to come with us this afternoon."

"Hai, I know. I saw the letter she wrote to Inuyasha." Kagome shook her head with a full blush. "And Ayumi-chan was never one to care much about boys."

"But it's **Inuyasha-kun **we're talking about." Emi picked up the conversation. "Who wouldn't be jealous?"

Eager to change the subject, Kagome merely ignored Emi's comment. "Um, right... so, we'll meet you two in front of the gates after school. Don't leave without us."

-_-

Takenouchi sensei put away the slide machine after a long lecture about the characteristics of Asian art. "Now, boys and girls, class will end in just a few minutes. Now pack up so you won't be late for your next class."

Nobody moved, they were all either asleep or just bored out of their minds. Inuyasha and Miroku were the former. 

"Ah, Taisho-kun and Houshi-kun, yesterday the two of you just..." The old bat poked the two sleeping boys on their heads with a pencil and got no response.

Next to Inuyasha, Yamaguchi Kappei shook the hanyou gently with one hand and whispered into his ear: "Taisho-kun, wake up, Taisho-kun..."

Inuyasha invisible dog ears moved at the sound of his last name, or rather, his father's name. He lifted his head and opened his eyes with a groan.

"Umm... sensei, what is it?" Inuyasha asked groggily as the boy next to him woke up as well.

Takenouchi sensei smiled with a happy glint in her eyes, a little bit too happy if you ask Miroku. "Boys... I was just saying how the two of you left class yesterday without permission. So today, you get to stay after school with me and clean up al the three art rooms in the school!!!" She was too chirpy for anyone of her age.

"WHAT!!?!!" Inuyasha woke up completely. "But..."

"Is there a problem?" Takenouchi's sensei's smile seemed to have a hidden threat in it. 

Inuyasha sighed inwardly. 'I was hoping to watch more Slam Dunk today.' But there was no helping it. Kagome had explained to them that whatever punishment the teachers give them, they have to accept with 100% obedience, no matter how tempting it is to just chop the teacher to pieces.

Next to him, he can feel Miroku shiver. No doubt he and Miroku had the same thought in mind: 'please don't let her pinch our "cheeks" again...'

Yamaguchi had to cover his mouth to stifle the urge to laugh at his two unfortunate new friends.

^_~

"I don't believe this..." Kagome sighed loudly as she just received the news that the boys will be staying after school, by themselves, with the famous art teacher Takenouchi sensei, also known as: **the molester**.

"Keh, it's not our fault." Inuyasha stated as a matter of fact. The history teacher entered the room, and the class settled down immediately.

"Good afternoon, everyone." The old man in his late fifties nodded his head to the class president, and the class did their routine of standing and bowing. 

Sasaki sensei is his name. He's a short and chubby teacher with a thick beard that's not common in Japanese men. One of his legs had a limp; he claimed it to be a scar from his childhood, during the Second World War. 

Sasaki sensei set down a big book on his desk and approached the board slowly. With scratchy chalks, he wrote the words "Sengoku Jidai" on the board. In the classroom, four faces lit up.

"Now, before we move on to the life story of Oda Obunaga and the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate, I want to introduce a slightly different topic into our curriculum today." Sasaki sensei turned to wrote more on the board. "For the rest of the week we'll be studying the myths during the Feudal Era, and how they affected people's lives back then."

Kagome could hear Inuyasha's arrogant "keh" from behind her. She grinned at the new topic. Who knows more than Japanese myths more than an actual character from a myth?

"First, everyone has heard of the terms youkai, mononoke, bakemono, etc., and we all have our views on how these creatures look like. Of course, these myths are all mostly based on the Shinto religion." Sasaki sensei's eyes fell upon Kagome. "Ah, Higurashi-san, you live in a Shinto temple, why don't you tell us a little about some of the myths you know?"

Kagome's eyes bulged open. True, she grew up listening to her jii-chan's stories, but she had never taken notice of any of them. She has always regarded them as simply stories, folktales.

"Umm..." Kagome looked at Sango for help, but once again, the girl's gaze was distant. "I know about a story, that relates to a sacred jewel called the Shikon no Tama."

Inuyasha choked on air behind her. He seems to be doing that a lot lately. At the mention of the Jewel of Four Souls, Sango and Miroku both snapped out of their daze. The entire class was listening intently to Kagome.

"Well, umm... the Shikon no Tama was a magical jewel with magnificent powers, and every youkai and mononoke, and even humans wanted it."

'So many were killed over that little pink ball.'

"It's suppose to grant its owner any wish."

'I wish to be with Inuyasha.'

"But if it's corrupted, it'll turn the user evil as well. It was protect by a miko, who..."

'... Oh man, what am I supposed to say next?'

Kagome hesitated, to tell others the story of the Tama would mean telling them the story of Inuyasha. Even if she doesn't use his name, even if no one besides her and her friends know the true meaning behind the story, how can Inuyasha forgive her if she told his life story to a roomful of people he doesn't trust. It had taken him so long to trust her. 

"Yes, Higurashi-san, you were saying about the miko?" Sasaki sensei pushed on.

"Um, well, she..." Kagome stuttered. Behind her, Inuyasha felt the hesitation in her tone. Part of him was annoyed at her teacher. Part of him was annoyed at Kagome, annoyed at the fact that she was so considerate.

"Um, Sasaki-sensei," Kagome made up yet another bold face lie, "I haven't heard the story in a long time, so I kinda forgot."

"Oh," Sasaki sensei looked disappointed. "It's alright, I guess. I actually read that story in this book just last night," He raised the thick book from the desk and flipped open to a folded page, "It's rather incomplete, actually. Let me read you an excerpt:

"'The two youkai brothers fought over a miko who protected the scared jewel, Shikon no Tama, for it was said that only this miko can use the power in the jewel. But the miko's heart belonged to the younger brother. Enraged by the miko's decision, the older brother set out on a quest to eliminate his sibling, and to take back the girl and a holy sword that was entrusted to his brother's care. 

"'But one day, the miko and the younger brother disappeared from the world, along with their two friends, the sacred jewel and the holy sword. The older brother continued his search to find them, some say, he's still out there today, trying to find two lovers.'"

'The book called us lovers...' Kagome thought to herself with a full blush on her cheeks, she seems to be blushing an awful lot lately. 'But a lot of it was wrong though, a lot! No way would Sesshomaru fight Inuyasha over _me_! But... just which miko was the book talking about?'

Kagome was too busy having a debate in her head to notice the cold sweat on her friends' foreheads.

'Shit, I sure hope Sesshomaru isn't still trying to find me in this time.' Inuyasha shivered at the thought of his half-brother's never-ending hatred toward him. 'And I bet the bastard is still alive, too.' Then a sinister thought passed through his head. 'Sure hope the humans find him and cut him up like we did to that worm.'

Sango and Miroku were having the same thought about Sesshomaru, along with a few happy grunts when they heard themselves being mentioned.

Just when Sasaki sensei was about to start talking again, a knock was heard and the door opened. A smiling Chie sensei stood outside.

"Sasaki sensei, sorry to interrupt your lesson, but I have a small announcement to make." Chie sensei said politely. "Also, we could use your help on something."

Sasaki sensei smiled back with a gentleman's nod. "How may I help you? And who's 'we'?"

Chie sensei stepped in and turned her gaze toward Inuyasha. "I was just having a break and was chatting Mito sensei, Taisho-kun's Asian Literature teacher of the third year class. Mito sensei gave me a wonderful suggestion, and I just couldn't wait to tell it to my class."

The class sat up to listen, including Inuyasha and the gang. Sasaki sensei also leaned forward a little.

"Since the Golden Week vacation is coming up, Mito sensei and I thought it would be fun if we hold a small play on the last day of vacation. It could be to celebrate spring, the holidays, and interaction between first and third years. We can use the week of vacation to rehearse. Everything will be done by the students, including the costumes, acting, lighting, directing, ect. We teachers will just be there to supervise." 

Everyone was whispering right now. By what Inuyasha can hear, everybody is pretty excited about this "play" idea. And a lot of girls were saying something about a "Juliet" thing, and they wanted him to be "Romeo".

"Well, that's an excellent idea, Chie sensei!" Sasaki sensei chirped in. "Do you have any specific plays in mind?"

"That's what I want you to help us with, Sasaki sensei. I don't want to do anything that's been done a million times. And nothing Western, Golden Week is about Japan and Japanese values."

'Oh no,' Kagome thought as a chill went down her spine, 'why do I have a bad feeling about this?'

"Well, you've come to the right person, Chie sensei, I was just telling the class about the legend of the Shikon no Tama."

"Shikon no Tama? I've never heard of it."

"Oh, it's an old legend." Sasaki sensei looked at Kagome again. "Higurashi-san knows a little about it."

"Really?!" Chie sensei looked ecstatic. She walked over to Kagome's desk and leaned forward. "How about we make you the lead actress, Higurashi-san?"

'Yup, bad feeling.' Kagome sank lower into her chair as she felt the murderous glances of her fellow classmates. As if having Inuyasha for a boyfriend wasn't bad enough to ruin her chance of making more girl friends. "Um, actually, Chie sensei, I'm not a very good actor."

Chie sensei batted her hand. "Nonsense. It's just a small play, it's not like anyone famous will be here to critique you. And there _is_ a female role, right? You'll do fine. Well, that's that," She started to head out, "I'll go back to report to Mito sensei about this. Sorry for the interruption, Sasaki sensei!"

Chie sensei opened the classroom door, just as she was about to exit the room, she turned to face Kagome and gave her an apologetic glance.

Sasaki sensei went back to his lesson, but Kagome was too distracted to hear out the rest. She glanced sideways at Sango, and hoped to confide in her best friend. But like before, Sango's attention was obviously somewhere else. The youkai exterminator's eyes were empty and unfocused, and Kagome was beginning to worry. Furthermore, Miroku had been acting weird all day too.

-_-

Kagome looked up to the dim and cloudy sky. She sighed. Next to her, Sango walked in silence. Their individual briefcases were in their own hands. The weather was looking grim, it was probably going to rain soon. They had said goodbye to Yuka and Emi outside the park gates and hoped to cut through the park so they wouldn't get wet. Actually, Kagome made all the decisions since Sango wasn't in a talking mood the entire time they were in WacDonald's.

'I can't go on like this.' Kagome groaned inwardly. 'Even if Sango-chan calls me a busybody, I have to know what's going on. Mou, where's Inuyasha? Hope he and Miroku are okay with Takenouchi sensei.'

"Gomen ne, Kagome-chan."

'She talks!' Kagome cheered silently and stopped walking. "Are you ready to talk now, Sango-chan?"

Sango stopped as well. She lifted her head and met Kagome's gaze. Kagome was very surprised to find her usually strong spirited friend in tears.

"I'm being silly, am I?" Sango's question caught her off guard. Kagome shook her head in shame. She's been too caught up with Inuyasha to even know what was troubling her friend.

"You're never silly, Sango-chan. Though I'd like to know what's making you ask such a question."

Sango smiled a little, with tears in her eyes. "You've changed, Kagome-chan. I think high school changed you. You're more mature now. But not me... I'm still being so silly." Sango shook her head and allowed her tears to fall. Both she and Kagome were happy that no one was around to see her rather rare emotional display. 

"Houshi-sama said some stupid things this morning, stuff that you'd expect to hear from him. I knew he didn't mean it. But I still got mad at him, and so I said some things I didn't mean. I don't even know why I said it."

Kagome chuckled. "I bet I do. You were angry at him, not for being his perverted self, but because he can still joke around and act normal when you just agreed to a date with another guy the day before."

Sango blushed but didn't deny it. "Perhaps, I guess I sort of expected him to get jealous, even a little. But, Kagome-chan, he wasn't, not at all. He even said it this morning that he wants me with someone else."

"Uso!" Kagome's expression was back to being serious. She sighed and rubbed her temples. "Why are the two of you so complicated?"

Sango stomped her foot. "We can't all be like you and Inuyasha."

"Sango-chan, I think you just passed denial."

"Huh?" Sango gave her friend a strange look. But Kagome was looking elated.

"Sango-chan, you said 'we'! You finally admitted your feelings for Miroku-sama! You've passed the denial stage!"

Sango blinked. "I don't think I was doing a very good job hiding it anyway. So what's after 'denial'?"

Kagome scratched her head. "Eh, well, according to some of the magazines I've read, it's supposed to be smooth sailing after denial, especially if the guy likes you back."

Sango walked a few steps away and plopped herself on a park bench. "But he doesn't, he likes every woman he sees, I'm not an exception." 

Kagome said down next to her, and her grin got wider. "C'mon, even Inuyasha can tell that he does! And that idiot is the dimmest when it comes to relationships. Besides, what kind of baka would he be if he doesn't?!"

Sango shook her head vigorously. "Argh, I shouldn't be thinking about these kinds of things. I have to avenge father and Kohaku. And afterwards I'll have to rebuild the village. I can't be..."

"Girls have the same dilemma in every century, don't we?" Kagome smiled sadly at the sky. "In this time, everyone has to study constantly if they want a shot at a decent college. Everyone's so busy that they don't even have any personal lives, especially in the third year of high school." She turned her head to face Sango. "But Sango-chan, mama always told me that life isn't about studying or good schools, it's about living. So... while you're thinking of revenge, you can't forget to live."

^_~

Two whirlwinds rushed pass Kouga and stopped to lean on his car. The wolf youkai/biology teacher blinked a couple of times to register the scene.

Miroku and Inuyasha sat panting on the back trunk of his old Camry. The two "boys" were very red in the cheeks, and their eyes were practically bulging out.

Kouga walked toward them calmly. With an arrogant smirk, he said to them: "Heard that you got after school detention with Takenouchi sensei. I don't think I need to ask to know what happened."

Inuyasha was furious. "That bitch needs to be stopped! I think she's just as bad as this pervert here."

Miroku smacked him on the head. "I'm nowhere as bad as that crazy cow!" 

"I swear, I don't care what Kagome says, if that old bitch lays another hand on me, I'll feed her to Tessaiga!"

Kouga was already cracking up. He walked over to his car and opened the door. "You guys want a ride?"

Inuyasha and Miroku faced each other, then back to Kouga. "We've never ridden in one of these 'car' things before." Inuyasha explained, "doesn't it makes a lot of noise?"

Kouga rolled his eyes. "Get used to it. You guys will be riding one of these when you come over to my place on Saturday. So where to, boys, I mean, men?"

"I wonder Kagome and Sango are." Inuyasha pondered aloud, completely oblivious to the change on Miroku's face, "Kagome said that they were going to eat with some friends."

"Kids these days," Kouga shook his head dramatically, "always going out when they should be home studying."

"Oh, and Kouga?" Inuyasha's eyes turned a shade of red. "If you ever have a class like the one today, I'll make sure that Ayame won't find your body."

Kouga laughed even more. "Okay, I get it. I was just trying to have some fun. Oh, and you guys did great in PE, by the way. I don't think Toji will be so arrogant anymore. Nice three-pointer, monk, you should join the... hey monk, what's wrong?"

"Huh?" Miroku seemed to have lost all his energy. "Oh, nothing. C'mon, let's go. It looks like it's about to rain." Inuyasha and Kouga's gaze followed him as he walked next to a car door. 'How am I going to do this? Naraku is still alive. Maybe I should wait... no, no more hesitating!!' 

"Emi, you baka, I can't believe you left your math book in your desk. Oh, Inuyasha-kun, hi!"

All three "men" turned their heads to the voice. In front of them were two of Kagome's friends. One of which Inuyasha recalled from the day before. 

"O, hey, where are Kagome and Sango?" Inuyasha asked with his arms crossed. He's still not used to Kagome's noisy and overly giddy friends.

"We split up at the park near WacDonald's, they were heading home." Yuka and Emi seemed to find something really funny, since they were giggling again. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. With the exception of Kagome and her mother, he really couldn't handle any of the modern female population. "See ya later, Inuyasha-kun, we've gotta find Emi's math book."

When the two girls left, Kouga opened the door for Miroku and Inuyasha and started up the engine. "Let's go find them before they get rained on."

Yuka looked back as she heard the car drive off. She poked Emi in the ribs and giggled. "It's so cute how Inuyasha-kun is so worried about Kagome-chan, ne?"

Emi joined in. "But he's just a bit too overprotective. He should give Kagome-chan some breathing space. It's not like she's always in danger or anything."

^_^ (A/N: Yes, I'm evil and stupid.)

_Patta__, patta_... The rain came down harder and harder. The two girls sat frozen on the park bench, the rain didn't seem to affect them one bit. Sango stared into her friend's eyes with shock. 

_"... you can't forget to live..."_

'Kagome-chan... is that how you feel?' Sango kept on staring with wonder. Even though Kagome knows that Inuyasha is still in love with Kikyo, even though she realizes that she'll probably never see Inuyasha again after the shards are completed, even though she understands that she and Inuyasha can never be together... despite of everything, Kagome still has to live on, and maybe, just maybe, the gods above will show compassion. And maybe, just maybe, it won't end in tears.

Kagome seemed to realize what Sango was thinking. She smiled reassuringly at her friend. "You just have to wait and hope, Sango-chan." The rain wetted their long locks, strands of hair stuck onto the girls' delicate cheekbones. But no matter how hard the rain hit, neither of them was willing to move.

Suddenly, Kagome's eyes caught something. She stood up with her briefcase in a rush and smiled to Sango. "We'll be across the street. Come find us when you're done."

Sango blinked, her gaze followed Kagome's movements. The young miko walked past her. To the left of Sango, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kouga stood there, barely a few feet away. Kagome walked toward Inuyasha and Kouga, the two male didn't need to be told to walk away with her. Within seconds, the park was empty except for Sango and Miroku. 

Sango remained sitting, her body frozen. Miroku looked into her soul with those calm and wise eyes. His hair was no longer tied up in a ponytail, but was let down. One of his hands was in his pants pocket, the other dangling casually at his side, holding his briefcase with barely any strength at all. He looked just as normal as any boy from this era. And for the first time that day, he was smiling at her again.

When Sango didn't seem to be in the right sense to say anything, Miroku gave in and went to sit next to her on the park bench, his briefcase placed on the other side. Sango's eyes followed him.

"Don't go."

It wasn't until he said these words did Sango realized that her heart had stopped beating. The sounds of his words were like an electric shock that surged through her lungs. Sango inhaled deeply and was too nervous to say anything.

"Don't... go..."

He whispered again, this time, more afraid, yet more confident. 

"Don't go... where?" 

"Don't go on a date with Yamato-kun. I won't let you." He said those words so calmly, she couldn't sense any doubt in those words. 

"You won't... let me?" Sango asked once more. Her heart was caught in her throat, cutting off her air supply. If Miroku gave the wrong answer, she might die from pain. If he gave the right answer, she might die from happiness.

Miroku reached over, his kazaana hand touched the bottom of her chin. He tilted her head slightly to face him. And then he whispered, so silently that the rain almost drowned out the sounds, and yet, so determined...

"You're mine."

Bold words were to be followed by bold actions. While Sango was still taking in his words, he closed the distance between the two of them. A raindrop fell onto Sango's upper lip, and Miroku leaned in and pressed his own lips to it. The heat from his kiss evaporated the raindrop immediately.

Sango found that she didn't die from happiness, though she was fairly close. The feeling of Miroku so close to her, the feeling of Miroku's lips on hers was just too incredible. Two words, two little words, were sufficient to send a shot of adrenaline through her veins. One kiss, one simple kiss, was enough to give her body a tinkling feeling, all the way down to her toes. 

Naraku will be killed, her family will be avenged, Miroku's kazaana will disappear, and all will be good. It doesn't matter where they were, it doesn't matter who they were, as of now, they just want to drown in the kiss, in the rain, in each other's warmth...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ah, yes, definitely vomit-worthy. :-p I'm running low on creative juice. AP Chemistry and stupid physics shrank my brain to the size of a walnut. I bet a lot of people hated that ending.

REVIEW!!!!!!!


	12. The Main Scheme of Things

I just realized that I haven't written a disclaimer in a while. So here we go: 

O, woe is me, I don't own Inuyasha. O, woe is me, that sexy beast does not belong to me... God, I'm so drunk.

**Chapter 12: The Main Scheme of Things**

_Tap, tap..._

_Growl... evil glare…_

_Tap, tap..._

"Kagome-chan, stop that."

Kagome smiled back sinisterly at a fumed Sango. She asked in her most innocent voice: "stop what?"

Sango made a grab for the pencil in her friend's hand but missed. She drew back and growled feral-like. "Stop tapping your pencil and stop looking at me with that smile."

"What smile?"

"The smile that says 'I know what you did.'"

"What did you do?"

"... I'm not biting..."

Kagome ceased the tapping and straightened her back. "That reminds me of my other question..." Sango raised an eyebrow at her friend's tone. Kagome leaned back as far as possible to escape what she knew would come. "Did Miroku-sama bite?"

Kagome grinned even more as she saw Sango's body froze up instantly. Before Sango could react, however, Kagome was already running out of the room while yelling "Inuyasha, tasukete, Sango-chan is going to kill me!!"

As soon as Kagome stepped out, she bumped into a strong chest. Two strong arms grabbed her roughly and prevented her from moving. 

"Miroku-sama?" Kagome looked up and saw two rather evil eyes staring into hers. Kagome giggled nervously while she looked around for help.

Behind Miroku, Souta stuck out his head and smirked at Kagome. "Inuyasha-no-niichan is in the bathroom giving Shippo a bath." His statement was confirmed by the yelps and growls coming from the bathroom down the hall.

Kagome could hear Sango's menacing steps creeping up behind her, and she was trapped by Miroku as well. 'Not good...'

"It's not like I bit her _that_ hard..."

"HOUSHI-SAMA!!!" Kagome ducked just in time to dodge Sango's slap, which landed rightfully on Miroku's right cheek.

"But darling..." Miroku covered the red mark with one hand, and his other arm stretched out to grab Sango, Kagome took this chance to make her escape, "you said you liked it!"

Kagome couldn't choose whether to cover Souta's ears or roll on the floor laughing. Crimson red wasn't enough to describe the color on Sango's cheeks. Sango made a choking sound in the back of throat, it seemed as though she lost her voice completely, along with her ability to make any movements. 

The second Sango recovered from her shock, Miroku was sent into a small coma. Later on, Sango shut herself inside Kagome's room and locked the door from the inside. Kagome had no complaints and slept in her mother's room. She drifted into dreamland with a smile and a single thought on her mind: 'now if only Inuyasha could kiss me like that...'

^_~

Kagome's face blanched. "I don't believe this..."

On top of everyone's desk was a preliminary outline of "the play", the title was "Shikon no Tama - A Feudal Love Story". Apparently, Chie sensei was so excited over the idea that she dug out information on the legend and wrote an outline overnight. During lunch break she made copies for the two classes, and now once again, is interrupting their history class to give them the "briefs". Surely enough, she gave Kagome a special copy, with her character's name highlighted on every page.

What's worse was that Kagome was not only the lead actress, but also the narrator. She only glanced over the first few pages, and she already has more than five minutes of dialogue. Furthermore, all of the language was in archaic form. That's not as bad, since she spent fairly a large amount of time in the real feudal era, but she can very easily mess up the grammar on stage.

"Why me...?" Kagome groaned. The black and white title seemed to be getting larger and larger, with the "Love Story" part shining in neon pink. 'Hopefully Inuyasha gets to play lead male, that's really who he's supposed to be.' Kagome thanked kami for the fact that the play was to be hosted by both hers and Inuyasha's class. 'But then again... what if Inuyasha doesn't get the part?' 

Kagome can picture it right now: she's on stage, dressed like a miko, and next to her, an Inuyasha-wannabe holds her to him... below the stage, the Inuyasha gets overly jealous and draws out Tessaiga...

She _definitely_ doesn't want that to happen. There's nothing more she can but pray, pray, pray. This is one of the few times that Kagome's glad that she grew up in a shrine.

'Kami-sama... help me...' Now only if her miko powers can help her get through this. 

"Everyone, settle down!" Chie sensei shouted over the over-excited class. And of course, like the very bad little boys and girls they were, no one seemed to have heard her. "SHUT UP!!!!!!!!"

Yup, that got their attention. Chie's sensei's smile popped back on. "Good. Now, as all of you know, we're putting on a play for Golden Week. We only have a little more than two weeks to set up everything and rehearse, but I know you can do it! And as a bonus for you guys, I've talked to all your teachers, and you won't be getting any homework or tests until the play's over!"

The class was quiet, so quiet you can hear the sound of a pin dropping. Then, like unexpected fireworks, the classroom burst out in a unison cheer. Paper flew everywhere, and a guy was dancing on his desk. It was like New Year.

'Oh, sure, _they_'re happy.' Kagome sighed while her friends looked around bemused. 'They don't have to memorize an entire script and perform it in front of the entire school and parents... They don't have a homicidal boyfriend who can very well chop up the teacher and whoever will play the lead actor... They don't have a half youkai who's after them and their friends' heads... They don't have an undead woman walking on the earth whose main purpose in the undead life is to drag the love of their life down to hell... oh, my life is grrreeeaaattt...' 

Kagome's head plopped down onto the desk with a heavy thud. Suddenly she felt a pencil poking her back. She raised her head and turned slowly, and saw a grinning Inuyasha. "Oi, Kagome, don't worry, I heard some kid talking about auditions, I'll be in the play with you for sure!"

'How can he be so enthusiastic? That's usually _my_ job!' Kagome nodded absentmindedly. That was usually where she'd turn to Sango for emotional support, but it seemed like her best friend was too busy playing "let's stare into each other's eyes and grin like idiots" with a certain monk. 'Eww, even Inuyasha and I don't do that... Just why don't we do that?... I wanna do that!!!' 

Kagome hit herself on the head with the thick script. 'Argh, I need to clean my mind. No, I need to stop talking to myself. This isn't healthy.'

It took another minute for the class to settle down. Chie sensei began to talk once more. "I've already made Kagome the lead actress yesterday." She clapped, but nobody else did. Kagome raised her head to chuckle nervously toward the class, but since her gesture made no affect, she simply plopped back down to her desk once more.

"There will be auditions tomorrow afternoon in the Great Hall for the parts of the miko's two friends. It will be a short and simple play with only five actors. But don't worry, we'll have jobs for all of you. Some will handle props, some will handle lights. And since the play will be held in the school yard, we'll need a lot of people to set up the stage."

"But what about the male lead and the brother?" Someone asked.

Chie sensei's smile disappeared for a millisecond, but she founded it soon and pasted it back onto her face. "I'm sorry, since I decided that one of my students will play female lead, Mito sensei wanted two of his students to play the male leads."

"Who did he choose?" Another voice shouted.

"We don't call out in class, Shitsuni-kun." Chie sensei looked at the boy disapprovingly, but her stare was somewhat shaky, as if she didn't want to answer the question. "Um... the male lead will be played by..."

^_~

"I don't get it." 

The last of the cherry blossoms blew over Mikagi Akiko's hair. Unlike usual, her hair is down instead of in a ponytail. She had her arms crossed over her chest, her face stern. Her green eyes pierced through the eyes of the one in front of her. 

"C'mon, Akiko, trust me on this."

The back of the school building is very much abandoned during class time. It's actually pretty much abandoned during break time as well. A thick brick wall closed around the space area, there's only two feet of space between the wall and the school building. A small opening that leads to the open school yard was ten feet away from Akiko's back. The person in front of her glanced at that opening from time to time, as though looking for an escape.

"But you promised that you wouldn't!" Akiko threw her arms down to her sides and tried to keep her voice down. If anyone found their secret meeting place, both of them could kiss their life goodbye.

"And I'm not! Believe me! And it's you who wanted him in the first place! I'm just helping you out! You said it yourself that if we were going to keep this façade up, we'd need to behave like professional actors. And I'm acting, literately."

"But with that Higurashi girl?! Why does it have to be her?" Akiko didn't say it out loud. But she feared Kagome's beauty, feared that she will take away the person who mattered most in her life.

The person froze for a few seconds, but then a big smile appeared. "Are you... jealous?" 

Akiko glared back and refused to respond. 

"Aw, c'mon, I didn't get jealous with your whole phase with Homo and that silver haired freak."

Akiko glared back even harder. He found it amusing that she was hurting? "That's because you knew my true intention." Just why didn't he get jealous? It wasn't fair. 

He sighed. He leaned forward slowly and lifted her chin with one hand, "look, Akiko, I'm doing this for fun. I just wanna piss of that Inuyasha guy. So what if I _play_ Higurashi's lover on stage for one time? Can you see the look on Inuyasha's face when I kiss his girl in front of the entire audience? And with him on stage as my 'brother' as well? C'mon, let me have my fun."

Akiko finally gave in. She let out a sigh and fell lifelessly into his chest. "Why does it have to be so hard for us to be together?"

The guy chuckled. "It's just until my old man dies."

The two remained silent for a while. Finally, Akiko lifted up her head and asked, "are you really gonna kiss that bitch on stage?"

He chuckled again. "Don't worry, I'm sure she's not as good as you."

Akiko's body slumped as her lips touched his and fell into the brief moment of blissful oblivion. ***

-_-

"Isn't that his twelfth bowl?" Miroku asked worriedly as he counted the number of empty ramen bowls on the coffee table. Inuyasha sat on the floor with his back to the back of the Higurashi family couch, in his hands was his twelfth ramen. He chomped on the delicacy without mercy, while growling and muttering "must kill..." at the same time.

Kagome, Sango, Shippo, and Souta all sighed simultaneously. Kagome plopped down on another couch and raised her head to look at the ceiling, she prayed to kami that the ceiling would drop and kill her right then. 

"This is too much of a coincidence." Sango finally spoke as the voice of reason among the crazed and tired group. "Kagome-chan as the miko, Mikagi Toji as 'Inuyasha', and the real Inuyasha as 'Sesshomaru'. It just seems really..."

"Messed up?" Kagome finished the sentence for her. When Chie sensei announced that Mikagi Toji will be playing Kagome's "lover", Inuyasha sorta fainted. And when she announced that Inuyasha will be playing as Mikagi Toji's "brother", a.k.a. "the guy who has Sesshomaru's role in the real history and loses Kagome in the end", Inuyasha regained consciousness and was going to burn down the whole school. It took the entire class and the help of Tomoeda sensei/Kouga to settle him down. And now Inuyasha is drowning his depression in instant ramen.

"Doesn't this feel planned to you?" Again, Sango became the sole voice of intelligence. 

Kagome looked at her briefly before turning back to the ceiling. Planned or not, she couldn't care less now. At first her friends came to her time to protect her, but in less than 4 days' time, the only "normal" part of her life has been turned upside down.

Kagome closed her eyes. 'Of course it's all planned. Kami-sama is always playing with me. Making my life miserable must be very entertaining.' Kagome vaguely heard Shippo's shriek when Inuyasha bopped him on the head. The depressed miko sank more into the couch and let sleep take over.

***

It turned out Kagome still had a few days of sanity left. Rehearsals don't start until next Monday. Inuyasha complained and groaned and howled and kicked around for the remainder of the school week. Friday came and went. 

***

"Kagome, wake up, it's nine o'clock." 

Kagome batted her eyes against the sleepiness a few times before sitting up. Her mother stood next to her bed with a light green sundress. Higurashi Ai smiled at her daughter and gestured to the folded futon on the floor. "Sango-chan is already up, so is everyone else. Your teacher called and said that he'll send someone to pick you up by ten."

'Teacher? What...?' Kagome thought groggily. 'Oh yea, Tomoeda-sensei... we were supposed to go to his house today.' Though everyone else are able to call Kouga by his "old" name, Kagome just can't bring herself to say it, even if it's just in her own head.

"I picked out a nice outfit for you, it's pretty warm today." Ai laid the sundress on her bed. "Get washed and come down for breakfast."

Some her mother said suddenly clicked. '"Send someone to pick us up"? I didn't know teaches made that much money...' Kagome yawned and rubbed her eyes. 'Mou, stupid Inuyasha, I wouldn't be so sleepy if he hasn't kept us up all night with Jackie Chan movies.'

It took a while for Kagome to drag her lifeless body to the bathroom, to wash up, and then get dressed. But once she was downstairs, all the sleepiness went away. 

'It's Saturday, I should just relax and not worry about the play or the Mikagi's.' Kagome practically skipped down the stairs. 'I get to see Ayame-chan, and Tomoeda sensei's children!'

In the family dining room, everyone squeezed around the table, Shippo was forced back to his youkai form so he wouldn't take up so much space. The Higurashi house was definitely crowded. But a certain hanyou was nowhere in sight. 

"Where's..."

"Kagome-sama's grandfather sent Inuyasha to sweep the shrine grounds." Miroku answered before Kagome could finish the question. He seemed to be in a good mood today. His ponytail had a little spike in it; Kagome guessed that Souta taught him about the wonderful use of hair gel. Moreover, his usually wise and yet perverted eyes are glinting even brighter this morning. A gold aura surrounded the monk's body, it seemed like he had reached enlightenment. 

"Miroku-sama... you're... glowing!" Kagome gasped at the sight of the monk. Next to Miroku, Sango scoffed in disgust. It was then that Kagome noticed only one of Sango's hands was holding her bowl of soup, and the same went for Miroku. 

"Um... I'll go find Inuyasha." Kagome sneaked a little to the side as she exited the door. She tilted her head back at the last second and found a sight that was too cute to be true: Miroku and Sango were holding hands below the table, their fingers were interlocked. And so, with a giggle and a skip between her steps, Kagome came out to the open shrine grounds and searched for Inuyasha. 

The hanyou was again nowhere in sight, and the number of cherry blossom petals on the ground wouldn't please Kagome's grandfather at all. 'Is he slacking off?' Desperate times call for desperate measure. Heck, Kagome would do it even if it wasn't desperate.

"Inuyasha, osuwa..."

"Okay, okay, I'm here!" Before Kagome could finish the subdue spell, Inuyasha jumped down from the Goshinboku. In his left hand was a battered broomstick; the straw end of the thing looked really, really bare.

"Inuyasha, jii-chan just bought that broom last week! What did you do to it?!" 

Inuyasha didn't answer straightaway. Instead he threw the broomstick on the ground and jumped on it a few times. Finally, the panting and growling hanyou raised a fist toward the house's direction and declared passionately: "I _hate_ your grandfather." 

Kagome smacked him on the head. 

"Wench, what did you do that for?!"

Kagome stood tall with her hands on either side of her waist. "Inuyasha, grow up. My family's letting you guys live here for free. Do you know how much it costs to feed you? The least you can do is help out!"

Inuyasha was a little surprised at Kagome's anger. But after spending a year with Kagome, he still hasn't learned to hold his tongue in situations like this one. "But Miroku and Sango don't need to do this!"

Kagome inhaled before letting out some more anger. "Miroku-sama and Sango-chan are humans. Sweeping the shrine grounds is like a walk in the park for you, but for them..."

"Keh. So once again I get the worse end of the deal because I'm not human enough for you!" Inuyasha gave the broomstick one last kick. "Why don't you get one of your human boys to do it for you!?!"

"What... Inuyasha, don't change the subject! What in the world are you talking about now?"

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about!!!" Inuyasha practically screamed for the entire city of Tokyo to hear. "You think it's okay for me to stand on one side and watch while you kiss some disgusting human boy in front of your entire school?!"

Inuyasha covered his mouth as soon as he realized what he had just said. Before Kagome could react, he began to stomp away.

'Inuyasha is... jealous? Wait, what kiss?' Kagome didn't remember anything about kissing anyone. She's never kissed before in her entire life**, what was Inuyasha talking about? '"Hey, Inuyasha, where're you going?!"

"HOME!" Inuyasha yelled without looking back. He was heading toward the well house.

'He wants me to stop him. Inuyasha is too obvious. If he wants to get away, he would run. But he's walking, and slowly too.' Kagome pouted at Inuyasha's childishness. "Mou, Inuyasha! Wait, Inuyasha!" Kagome ran toward the hanyou. But as she approached him, he sped up, though only a little. 'Geez, he's so immature.' 

"**INUYASHA, OSUWARI**!!!!" 

The sound of Inuyasha's head against concrete rang like an echo throughout Tokyo. Some random person on the street had the audacity to yell "Godzilla!" Kagome tapped her sandal on the ground impatiently and waited for Inuyasha to jump up and yell at her. When the hanyou made no such move, Kagome feared that she went too far. After all, concrete ground is much harder than the soil ground that Inuyasha's head is used to.

Kagome ran toward him nervously and prayed that he was still conscious. She just wanted him to stop. "Ne, Inuyasha, are you alright?" Kagome kneeled down next to the hanyou and shook his body slightly. "Inu..."

"**Don't kiss him**."

The world seemed so quiet as Inuyasha whispered those words. A soft breeze blew over where Kagome knelt and carried her scent to him. His plead sank deep into her heart. Though Kagome still didn't know what the hanyou was talking about, she had this feeling that she wouldn't be able to resist his command.

"Inuyasha, what are you talking about? Kiss who?" Kagome asked worriedly. Inuyasha's face was still down on the ground, but she knew that he was conscience and very, very serious. 

"I read the script last night when you all went to sleep. In the second act, you have to kiss that Mikagi bastard... and I, have to stand a short distance away and watch quietly." Inuyasha's last words were soft to a degree that Kagome barely heard anything. But she understood, "don't kiss him..."

Kagome couldn't make a sensible answer. She swallowed a few times. Her cheeks were flushed at Inuyasha's desperate request. Finally, she decided to tease him a bit. "Why should I listen to you? I had to watch while you kissed Kikyo, why should I have to obey you and not... **_Kya_**!!!"

Kagome let out a squeal as Inuyasha got up and pushed her body onto the cold ground in less than a second. His human-like hands pushed against the ground on either side of her head to support the weight of his body. But it seemed as though he wanted to let go immediately and hide her from the rest of the world, so that he and he only, can see her, can hear her, can feel her...

Inuyasha breath came in waves as he leaned on top of Kagome's body, a short distance separated the two, and the hanyou had to fight every single fiber in his being so that he won't lose all control right then and there. 

"Inuyasha..." Kagome's heart ached. She wanted to assure him, but even she doesn't have a control in this. "If Chie sensei makes me do it, I can't disagree. She's my teacher."

Inuyasha's spirit broke. And Kagome saw it all too clearly on his face. Inuyasha still supported his body with his arms, but he leaned in more so that their cheeks touched. Kagome shivered at this interaction. 'How to assure him...'

It's Inuyasha's turn to shiver when he felt something soft trace the side of his face, from under his fake human ears to his chin, then up, closer and closer... The weight was lifted off Inuyasha's heart as Kagome's lips touched his. 'Finally...'

^_~

Inuyasha discovered that in order to survive in the modern era, he must master the art of breathing through his mouth. Last time when he was in Kouga's car, it was raining and he didn't notice. But this time, the smell of burning gasoline was just too strong. 

Three people, two youkai, and one hanyou somehow managed to squeeze into the puny Honda that looked like it was made in the early seventies. Miroku sat in the front with Shippo and Kirara on his laps. Sango, Kagome and Inuyasha sat in the back where there was hardly any space for movement. Their driver was a sixty-or-so-year-old woman. She looked more of a nanny than a chauffeur. They're left the house for more than an hour now and had just gotten off the highway. Kagome had an uneasy feeling that they were lost. 

The Higurashi shrine is already near the outskirt of Tokyo. The area where they were at the moment seemed more like the countryside. There was a grassy field to the right of their car, and on the left was the sea. No one said anything for a while, and so Kagome was left alone with her thoughts.

The car swerved suddenly but gained its stability once again. Kagome exhaled with a beating heart. But then she realized that her bare leg was touching Inuyasha's. Kagome blushed while she berated her mother for buying Inuyasha shorts. 

Inuyasha was too busy sticking his head out the window to noticed Kagome's stares, and for that, she would forever be grateful. Since it was Saturday, Inuyasha changed out of the school uniform and into an outfit that Ai bought him last Sunday. It was a loose pair of black shorts that went just above his knees, and a white short-sleeved shirt with buttons. Inuyasha complained about the hot weather and left the first two buttons loose. Kagome was practically drooling at the sight of his semi-exposed chest. But then again, so was their driver.

Sango was thankful too, since Ai bought Miroku a pair of jeans instead of shorts. She wouldn't know what to do if she had to see Miroku's hairy legs again. Miroku's shirt sleeves were shorter than Inuyasha's. And that served as a well remainder for how muscular Miroku was.

The car suddenly came into a halt on the side of the road. "We're here!" The older driver announced cheerfully.

"Here... where?!" The four friends cried out in unison. They were still in the middle of nowhere. The old Honda was parked in front of a small and abandoned gas station. There wasn't another soul in sight. 

"We need to change cars. It's another hour's drive to Kouga-jiji's place." The old woman smiled and her entire face wrinkled up. Kagome blinked, when she looked at the woman again, she was no longer old or wrinkly. 

"AH!!!" The group screamed as the fat old lady in front of them morphed into a thin and beautiful woman in her early-twenties. It was like something straight out of a movie. Her bunned white hair is now loosened and dark brown. Her skin became white and smooth. Her brown eyes glinted mischievously.

She laughed heartily. "I thought you'd be used to something like this." She glanced at Shippo, who was hiding behind Miroku's head. "Please wait here while I get the limo."

"Limo?" Kagome's eyes widened. The now very young woman walked calmly toward the garage of the abandoned gas station. It was then that everyone saw a brown tail protruding from her clothing. Kagome noticed that the lock of the garage was rather new compared to everything else. The woman opened the lock and the garage door. Within minutes, she drove out a black stretch limo. 

As soon as the limo was on the road, the woman stepped out and opened the back door. "Sorry that I made you guys sit in that poor excuse for a car. I had to be inconspicuous in the city. Kouga-jiji is only supposed to be a teacher, his salary shouldn't be able to afford a limo. But now that we're in the suburb, there are not much people around."

Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo weren't listening at all, they were too busy admiring the beauty of the limousine. Kagome sighed. 'Seems like men of any century have a thing for cars.' 

"Excuse me, but who are you really? And how come your disguise masked even your scent that even Inuyasha didn't know you are a youkai." Sango asked with doubts. "You _are_ a youkai, right?" 

She laughed again. "My name is Kagome. I'm half wolf, half human. I used my mate's kitsune magic to put the disguise on myself. And my scent was easily masked by perfume and the smell of gasoline in the car." She then smiled brightly. "I can't believe I'm actually meeting with the legendary Kagome-sama."

Kagome blushed at the honorary title. "Legendary? Who said I was legendary?"

"I'll explain as I drive. Kouga-jiji and that other old gloom will be mad if we're behind schedule." She practically had to push the three male into the car.

Kagome and the gang settled comfortably into the room limo. "If I hard correctly, did you say that your name is also Kagome, and that you're a hanyou? And you're _mated_ with a kitsune youkai?!"

The woman started the engine and everyone was eager to hear her answers. "Sounds unbelievable, I know. As for my name, it's a family law. The oldest daughter's name must be Kagome, and her oldest daughter's name will be Kagome as well. It gets confusing sometimes, since my daughter's name is Kagome, and so is my granddaughter..."

"You have a granddaughter?!?!?" Kagome cried out. "But you seem so young."

"In human years, yes. But I'm actually more than 200 years old. As I was saying, it's a family law set up by Kouga-jiji and Ayame-baasan..."

"Wait, you mean, you're related to Kouga?" This time, Inuyasha interrupted.

"Of course, I'm the daughter of his oldest daughter. My mother's name is also Kagome, I'm Kouga's favorite granddaughter, despite the fact that my father is a human."

The back of the limo became very silent. The automobile zoomed pass rows of sakura trees. Finally, Inuyasha exploded.

"I knew that wolf is still stuck up on Kagome! What kind of law is that?!" 

Their driver burst out in laughter. "The law was actually proposed by Ayame-baasan. She said that she wanted to remember Kagome forever." 

Kagome blushed. "Wow, I'm so flattered."

"Anyway, it's really confusing that we're both named Kagome. So why don't you call me by my nickname, Ka-chan."

"That's such a cute nickname." Miroku remarked with a perverted glint in his eyes. Sango noticed it right away and kicked him in the leg promptly. 

Ka-chan grinned. "It's better than my granddaughter's nickname: Toothy. She's still a baby and tends to bite a lot. And yes, my mate is a kitsune youkai. He works directly under The Gloomy Man. So he's very important in youkai/human interactions."

"The way you say it," Inuyasha commented while he poked around the mini-fridge, "it sounds like there are a lot of mix mating nowadays." He didn't voice it, but Kagome can feel a glint of happiness in his tone. It seemed like Inuyasha's happy that he's no longer one of the only hanyou in the world. 

"The first decree that The Gloomy Man passed was freedom of interracial marriage. It was actually a really selfish move. He only did it so he could be with his love, who is a human. But nevertheless, the entire world changed after that."

The gang scratched their heads. "Ka-chan," Kagome questioned, "who is this 'gloomy man' you're talking about?"

There was a short moment of silence which was followed by Ka-chan's loud laughter. "O, I'm sorry. 'The Gloomy Man' is actually Ayame-baasan's nickname for him. We grew up listening to Ayame-baasan's tales, so all of us kids use that name. Kouga-jiji can explain the situation better than I can. We'll be at the mansion shortly; the five of you have a long day ahead."

^_~

"Whoa........." 

The group stood with their mouth gaped open in front of the car. They were in a garden. Not an "oh-look-there's-a-rose-bush" garden, or was it a "wow-there's-a-fountain" garden. This was a "Damn-you-can-make-your-own-maze-out-of-the-grass-and-get-lost-in-it" garden. _And_ there's a fountain and a rose bush.

A long driveway connected the road outside with the inside of the garden. Kouga's house, no, mansion, is on top of a hill in the remote area of suburban Tokyo. When visitors step out of their cars, they have to go up several flights of stairs to reach the front door. The mansion is everything that a rich person wants. 

To the far right of the mansion is a mini parking lot/garage, which Kagome guessed was for Kouga's numerous cars. To the left was a large gate which led to the back of the house. The happy squeals of children's laughter and splash of water were evidence of a swimming pool. 

Ka-chan led everyone up the stairs. As they all reached the large, red oak door, Ka-chan rang the doorbell, which sent a loud alarm throughout the premises. Kagome and the gang heard some of the children yell "they're here!" loudly.

Within seconds, the door was opened by a large youkai with rather sharp fangs. Shippo "eeped" at the sight and shrank away quickly. 

"Baku, come back here, you're scaring the guests!" A high voice rang through the large ball room. The huge youkai called Baku turned around slowly and stomped away through another door.

The group stuck out their heads in search for the owner of the voice. Far away from them was another door which, and coming out of it were a group of children and a young youkai woman.

"Ayame-baachan! Is that them?!" A little youkai girl with sharp fangs asked the youkai woman cheerfully. 

"Ayame-chan?" Kagome questioned unsurely. 

Her guess was confirmed as Ayame ran toward her in a flash and enveloped her in a bear hug. "Kagome! I can't believe it! When Kouga told me that you were still alive, I was so surprised! O, kami-sama, Inuyasha, you're all here!" Ayame smiled at Kagome with misty eyes. Kagome was surprised at how much older Ayame looks. Sure, she only looks like someone in her late twenties, but compared to the Ayame she knew, it was a big change.

"Ayame-chan... you don't hate me anymore?" Kagome asked softly as they were lead through a marble door to an even bigger living room. Ayame set them down on the couch and the children immediately went to crowd around them. 

"Five hundred years make you think a lot." Ayame smiled with a blush. "Kouga filled me in on your time-traveling abilities. And all this time, we all thought you guys were dead. And Sango, it's wonderful to see you too."

Sango smiled back politely. "Thank you for inviting us here today. Your mansion is magnificent." 

Kagome and Inuyasha both got up to walk around the living room. 

"Kouga and I had various jobs over the centuries. We were mercenaries during wars and political activists during peace times. I guess there's always a point in life where hunting and fighting is just not enough anymore. We wanted stability for our cubs, and so we settled down eventually. But all the money we made during the wars was enough to buy us this piece of land and this mansion. We're rich; I guess you could say that. So rich that Kouga wanted to be a teacher and refused to let me work."

Kagome stopped in front of the fireplace. Hundreds of pictures were hung on the wall. Kagome glanced over each of them with glee, until her eyes rested on a black and white photo. 

"Ayame-chan, whatever happened to Hakkaku and Ginta? Are they still following Kouga around?" Kagome pointed at the picture and glanced back at Ayame. But their hostess made no answer.

"They were in Hiroshima at the summer of 1945." Kouga appeared in the doorway in a business suit. "I told them not to get involved in that war, but they were overzealous. Said something about paying back the country. Those two idiots..."

"You mean they're..." Kagome felt something tug at her heartstrings. Inuyasha rushed to her side immediately, knowing how she would react. "But they were always there, even when we fought Naraku... I was their nee-chan..."

"A lot of youkai died during those wars. Even youkai are no match for bullets and bombs."

The room was filled with momentary silence until Kouga cleared his throat. Ayame took the hint and rushed all the children out of the room. Once the room was cleared, Kouga beckoned the group to follow him.

"Where are we going?" Inuyasha moved reluctantly. Kouga's face was stern; his mind was still filled with the memories of his comrades' death. Behind him, Ka-chan whispered: "we're going to meet "The Gloomy Man"."

^_~

"**KYOTO****?!!!!???!!!**" Kagome howled as the limo stopped in front of a small airport. A small jet was waiting in the runway. "I can't go to Kyoto! I have to tell my mom first and..."

"I ain't flying in that thing!! I still don't believe that thing can fly!" Inuyasha had his invisible claws firmly on the fence around the airport, and refused to be dragged onto the iron bird.

On the other hand, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were already on the plane, eager to fly. 

First Kouga realized that he had to convince Kagome. And then Kagome sat Inuyasha until he was unconscious. And Kouga personally had to lug the hanyou onto the plane.

The jet took off immediately with its mix of odd passengers. Inuyasha woke up in the middle of flight and started to throw tantrums. Kouga had to hit him a couple of times to get him to be quiet.

"Shut up, Inuyasha! Even the kitsune cub is quieter than you!" Kouga kicked Inuyasha in the stomach. Shippo heard the compliment immediately and went to sit on top of Kouga's head and to blow raspberries at a very pissed off hanyou. 

Kagome sat in her seat with her attention on the clouds outside. Sango and Miroku were in the back of the jet, whispering and talking to each other. Kagome didn't know whether to smile or to gag.

"Oh, Tomo... Kouga-kun, can we go to the Shōkoku-ji temple in Kyoto? I made a wish there a few years ago, it came true, and I want to go back to thank the temple." Kagome asked Kouga while Inuyasha sat between them with her arms crossed and his hand on his kendo sword (Tessaiga). 

Kouga blinked. "I thought you grew up in a Shinto shrine. Why do you make wishes at Buddhist temples?"

Kagome laughed sheepishly. "That's the reason why I make wished at Buddhist temples. After I saw what a fake my jii-chan is, I kind of have an impression in my head that all Shinto priests are quacks."

Kouga laughed. "Oh, okay. What temple did you say?"

"Shōkoku-ji." 

Kouga raised an eyebrow. "Kagome-chan, the Shōkoku-ji temple was burned down in the end of the Edo Period, and was never restored, it's been gone for more than 400 years."

Kagome smiled. "Don't trick me, Tomoe... Kouga-kun, I was just there a few years ago. Of course they rebuilt it."

Ka-chan shook her head gravely. "Kouga-jiji is not joking, Kagome-sama. He was one of the people who burned it down."

Kouga sweat-dropped. He glared at his granddaughter, who sat face to face with him. "You didn't need to bring that up, Ka-chan, I was still young."

Kagome scratched her head. "But..."

"Maybe you remembered wrong, Kagome-sama. Was it another temple?" Ka-chan questioned, but Kagome gave no answer. She was sure of it. 

"Whatever." Inuyasha cut in. "Wolf, who's this 'Gloomy Man' your granddaughter was talking about? Why do we have to go so far just to see him?"

Kouga's mischievous grin reappeared. Kagome can see why Ka-chan is his granddaughter. "Kagome-chan, you would be surprised if you hear his name. 'The Gloomy Man', as my mate calls him, is actually Mukashi Shinichi!"

Kouga and Ka-chan both awaited some sort of surprised look on Kagome's face. But Kagome only blinked back. "Sorry, don't know him."

Kouga and Ka-chan both dropped onto the floor, and brought Shippo down with them. The plane shook a little. Miroku and Sango came back from their little rendezvous to check on their friends.

"Kagome-chan, happened?" 

Kagome shrugged. She nudged Inuyasha to pickup Shippo. "They said something about some guy named 'Mukashi Shinichi', and when I said I didn't know him, they fell..."

"'Mukashi Shinichi...'" Miroku repeated the name. "Isn't that name really contradictory*?"

"He named himself that so he wouldn't forget his past, and also, to redeem himself." Kouga crawled up. "But Kagome-chan, how could you not know the name of the richest man on earth?"

Kagome blinked again in confusion. "I thought the richest man on earth is Bill Gates."

Kouga stared at her disbelievingly. "Bill Gates comes in second. He was never the first. He doesn't even come close to Mukashi Shinichi."

Kagome couldn't take it anymore. "Okay, what's going on here?! First you tell me that the Shōkoku-ji temple was burnt down 400 years ago and never restored when I was just there less than 5 years ago. Next you tell me this Mukashi guy is richer than Bill Gates?! Stop messing with my mind!!!"

"Kagome, calm down..." Shippo latched himself onto Kagome's dress and patted her arms.

Kouga scratched his head. "We're not messing with your mind, Kagome-chan. We're telling the truth. But you ask me what's going on here. And I don't have a clue either. But Mukashi-sama should know."

"He's a youkai?" Inuyasha asked calmly while he took Kagome's left hand in his right and squeezed it slightly. 

Kouga's attention averted to Inuyasha. Finally, he smiled again with that same mischievous look. "Kagome-chan might not know the name 'Mukashi Shinichi', but Inuyasha, I guaranteed you all that you will recognize his real name. You see, I call him Mukashi-sama, not because he's rich, but because he's also the youkai Lord of the Western Lands, formally known as 'Sesshomaru-sama'."

The jet became quiet, very, very quiet. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*** Yes, that guy that Mikagi Akiko was kissing was actually Mikagi Toji. And no, they're not incest. What's going on here? You can take a guess. The truth will be revealed eventually.

**For the sake of this fic, I'm just assuming that Kagome has never kissed Inuyasha before, though she did in the second movie.

*Sesshomaru's human name: Mukashi Shinichi is contradictory because Mukashi means "long ago", and Shinichi means "new one".

And a couple more things: Kagome's view that all Shinto priests are quacks does not reflect the views of this writer. Bill Gates is still the richest man on earth, and no, I don't own him. Shōkoku-ji is a real temple and was really burned down in the end of the Edo Period, but it really was restored, so Kagome was not hallucinating. And if you don't know what happened in Hiroshima in the summer of 1945, I suggest you look it up or beat up your history teacher. And I know I promised that Sesshomaru will make his appearance in this chapter. Hehe... I lied. It wasn't planned very well. So he'll be here next chapter.


	13. Tondemonai! Part 1

Bwahahahahaha... Let the real fun begin...

**Chapter 13:** **Tondemonai****!!! (Part 1) **

"No! I don't wanna go!! And you can't make me!!!"

Workers of the Mukashi private airport searched the grounds for the origin of the extremely whiny and irritating cries. It came from the small jet that has just landed. The workers looked around; half expected to find another kid from the Kyoto Orphanage. Their boss, Mukashi Shinichi, has the tendency to invite children to live in his mansion for a month before finding them a good home. Usually, the kids are very excited and happy about riding in an extravagant plane, but perhaps this month, the child has a fear of flight.

Imagine their surprise when they laid their eyes upon an 18-year-old boy being pulled toward the exit by five adults, a kid, and a kitten that's gnawing on his leg. And the even more surprising thing was: none of them could move him. 

Suddenly, the older looking man yelled to one of the young girls: "Kagome-chan, do your stuff!"

The girl seemed to have mumbled something under her breath, and everyone released the young man at once. Then, like magic, the young man's head hit the cement ground with a heavy, crisp _thud_, again... again... again... again... and again... again... and... again… 

Yup, that kid's definitely out cold.

^_~

"Can I get more ice?" 

"Sure thing, Kagome-chan."

Kouga leaned over Shippo to open the door of the mini-fridge inside the black limo. He then took out some ice cubes and dumped them into a plastic bag. Kagome took the bag from him and placed in on Inuyasha's swollen but currently healing neck. 

Kagome shifted on her seat uncomfortably. Her legs had fallen asleep due to the sexy beast that is unconscious on her lap. Sango and Miroku insisted that the limo had no space left for Inuyasha to sleep, so they forced Kagome to let Inuyasha sleep on her lap. Kagome doesn't mind, of course, but it is rather irritating when Inuyasha's face is so close to hers. She had the urge to feel his lips again, and it's taking all the resistance she has to keep away from him. Inuyasha's warmth permeated through her thin sundress and Kagome's breath came in shorter and shorter intervals.

Kagome hit herself mentally, 'I'm turning into a female version of Miroku.'

But even the strong temptation cannot distract Kagome's true curiosities. So, as soon as the mood settle into place, Kagome and her friends began to bombard Kouga with numerous questions that nearly drove the wolf insane. Ka-chan leaned back comfortably into her seat and watched with acute interest as her not-so-old-looking grandfather brawled and howled for escape.

"I already told you! Sesshomaru-sama will explain everything himself when we get to his office!! Aahhh, Shippo, stop biting my leg!!!!!!!" 

"**SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU**!" 

The great mess of people and youkai were all silenced by the voice from Kagome's lap. Inuyasha, the almighty hanyou prince, executed his command while he was still reluctant to leave his love's comfort. Only when everyone turned to look at him did he finally rise from Kagome's laps.

Inuyasha sat up straight and threw the ice pack onto the floor of the limo. Then he leaned over and grabbed Kouga by the collars.

"Wolf, stop this car if you still want to live. I'm not going to see my bastard of a half-brother!"

Kouga grabbed Inuyasha hands and attempted to pry them off... no success. 

"And before we go back to Kagome's city, _you _are going to explain to us _why _Sesshomaru knows about us and _why_ he wants to see us." 

"I've told you... I can't... Sesshomaru-sama's orders..." Kouga struggled more, but Inuyasha's clutch just became stronger.

"Orders my ass! Since when did you wolves obey the Inu-youkai family's orders?!?!" Inuyasha was too close to hit Kouga's face for comfort.

But Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and even Shippo and Kirara simply sat back and enjoyed the "show". It wasn't until Inuyasha began to choke Kouga did Ka-chan finally rose as the voice of reason. 

"Inuyasha-kun, please restrain yourself from killing my grandfather. He's still got a couple hundred years left to live, and I don't think Ayame-baachan will appreciate you making her a widow so soon." Ka-chan grabbed Inuyasha's hair and pulled him back to his seat nonchalantly. "I'd ask Kagome-sama to sit you, but I don't want to damage Sesshomaru-sama's limousine."

"**WHAT?!**" Inuyasha became even more riled up. "This is that bastard's car?! Ahh, let me out of here!!!!" 

"Dog-turd, fucking grow up!!!" 

Though the others didn't even notice the sudden outburst from Kouga, Ka-chan was more than surprised.

"Jii-chan! You... you... you cursed!!!" 

Kagome and the others looked at Ka-chan with furrowed eyebrows. Inuyasha scoffed and folded his arms.

"So what? He curses all the time." Inuyasha glanced at Kouga, but noticed the wolf had turned a deep shade of red. 

Ka-chan obviously didn't notice the embarrassed look on her grandfather's face and kept on talking, and pretty loudly too. "Well, ever since my mother was born, Jii-chan never cursed. Ayame-baachan would pull on his ears whenever he..."

"**Ka-chan!!!**" Kouga screeched and covered Ka-chan's mouth immediately. "Um... let's keep the family history between family, please."

Sango and Kagome giggled simultaneous. Who would've thought that the mighty and cocky Kouga and be subdued by a little ear-pulling from his mate. Well, at least now they know why Kouga kept on telling Inuyasha to stop cursing. 

"Anyway, I still want out!" Inuyasha complained once again.

Kagome sighed and decided that it's about time for her to step in. She's seen this trick on a dog show before, but now it's finally time to try it out. Without warning, Kagome lifted up her right arm and gently grabbed Inuyasha's hair. She pulled his head back down into her lap and trapped him there with her left arm around his neck.

"Kag... what're you..." Inuyasha blushed crimson as Kagome's soft finger tips connected with his exposed neck. He felt his right cheek connect to her exposed thighs and almost jumped up. Around them, their friends watched with intense concentration at Kagome's movements.

When Kagome refused to let him up, Inuyasha had no choice but to obey and stay still in her laps, of course, it wasn't like he minded. He turned a little so his face faced the ceiling of the car, and Kagome. With his invisible dog ear pressed up against Kagome's stomach, he could hear her speeding heartbeat clearly. 

Kagome didn't look down at him, for her attention was too occupied by the view outside the opaque window. 'Kyoto sure is a busy city, just like Tokyo.' Kagome figured that the best way to distract herself from her friends' stares was to fill up her own mind with random thoughts. Heck, it worked pretty well.

While she was thinking about the difference between Tokyo and Kyoto's raman, Kagome shifted her right hand around Inuyasha's head in search of his invisible dog ears. She felt Inuyasha shiver as soon as her hand came in contact with a furry ear. Then slowly, she began to rub it...

Kouga and the rest watched in amazement as Inuyasha fell into deep slumber in a matter of minutes. All the while, Kagome's eyes were somewhere else.

^_~

Koinu tapped her father's 200-million-yen diamond pen on the marble desk. Her mother glared at her from across. "You're going to leave a dent if you keep tapping." 

On top of Koinu's head, two white and furry dog ears shifted. But Koinu ignored her mother's comment and kept going. When her mother growled, she ceased and leaned back into her father's leather chair. 

"When are they going to get here? Tomoeda-jiji is so slow." Koinu spun around in the chair. "I can't wait to see them. I wonder if I get to play with his sword! Papa's sword is so boring."

"Speaking of which, where did your father go?" 

Koinu jumped up approached the window and looked down from the office on the 88th floor. "Papa went out to get a sandwich. Jaja wanted to do it for him, but Papa is upset that onee-chan and them couldn't come today, so he wanted to take a walk to blow off some steam." 

Koinu's mother stood and to went to stand next to her as well. Her high heels tapped as she walked. "Well, your sisters and brothers are all grown and they're busy with their jobs around the world."

"Hey, don't tell it to me. I miss nee-chan and them too, but Papa is one that's taking his anger out on food." 

Her mother sighed and rubbed her temples. "Well, it's not like he'll ever get fat. Oh, wait, at least tell me he went outside with a disguise. Last time he went out a bunch of homeless people surrounded him and he didn't come back for four hours because he was compelled to treat all of them to dinner." 

Koinu burst out in laughter. "When was that?!"

Her mother waved her hand. "The eighties... 1780's to be specific."

Koinu's laughter rang through her father's humongous office in echoes. "Don't worry, Ryuu-chan went with him. Papa was complaining to him about how we're the only two of his pups that are still by his side. Both of them are in full disguise." 

Her mother nodded and sat down on the couch. "I'm really nervous. If what Kouga-kun said was true, then... well, it's going to be a big mess for us to clean up. And hopefully, this building will still be in one piece by the end of the day."

At the sound of that, Koinu dashed toward her mother immediately and questioned with an excited voice. "Is he really that strong?!"

Her mother nodded. "I don't really remember much, it was a long time ago and I was really young. But when I first met your father, he was really beaten up. I didn't know it then, but your father was injured because of him. So yes, I'd say he's really strong."

Koinu scoffed. "No way, Papa is the strongest youkai on earth, nobody can beat him!"

The oak door opened and two very handsome men entered. As soon as they were inside, their human looks faded away and some unnatural attributes appeared. The older looking one had a ham sandwich in his hand... claw. His long white hair flowed like a river behind him as he walked slowly and majestically toward Koinu. He stopped short in front of her and kissed her forehead while he chewed on his sandwich.

"Thanks, honey. Your Papa is the strongest, don't ever forget that." He smiled back when Koinu hugged him. Then he approached his wife and kissed her softly on the lips. "Telling the kids bad things behind my back?"

His wife scoffed and gave him a blank look. "Your brother will be here any minute."

He only shrugged and continued to chew on his sandwich. The other young man who followed him in went to chat with Koinu.

"Hey, Ryuu-chan, did ya bring me anything?" Koinu stared at her twin brother's face, which of course, was identical to her own. The two of them were always being mistaken for one another when they were children. But now that they're both older, certain attributes set them apart.

Her brother grinned and his fangs flinted. From the inside of his pocket, he retrieved a small box and flashed it in front of her sister. "Dad and I bought this, but it's not for you." He gave her a raspberry and went to hug his mother. Koinu brawled behind him but no one paid attention. 

Koinu stomped on the floor. 'Man, being the youngest sucks, no one ever listens to me.' Her parents are quarreling again. Well, her mother yelled and her father chewed on the ham sandwich. Her brother served as referee. So far, the score was 20451 to 2, their mother was winning.. by far. And so, Koinu shifted toward the window again and looked down. 

"Argh, Shinichi, put that sandwich away and put on your robes! We're expecting guests in case you haven't noticed." Their mother stared at their father from head to toe. With the exception of his silvery hair, nothing about his state at the moment would consider him either rich or noble. He was in a pair of sweatpants with a loose white t-shirt draped over his muscular upper body. Bread crumbs were all over his face. And a little mayonnaise dabbed on his beautiful nose.

"Shinichi, did you hear what I just said?!" 

Again, no response. The man... youkai went on chewing like nothing happened.

"Mukashi Shinichi, put down that sandwich right now or I'll..." The woman's patience was running low as her husband spaced out. Finally she couldn't take it anymore: "**SESSHOMARU!!!!**"

Ryuu snickered as his father dropped the almost finished sandwich on his marble desk. 

"Aww, no... my sandwich..." Sesshomaru whined as he picked up the sandwich and threw it into the waste basket. He then turned to his wife and put on a puppy face, no pun intended. "Aww, c'mon, you could've at least let me finish it."

The woman tapped her shoe on the floor with her arms folded. She then said through clenched teeth: "Sesshomaru, if you don't get cleaned up and get into your robe this minute, I'll shave off your head!"

Sesshomaru laughed. He stood up and leaned forward. He placed a clawed hand under his wife's chin and whispered. "I don't believe you. You love my hair too much."

His wife growled and swatted his hand away. 

"Papa, your limo's here! Hey, I see Tomoeda-jiji!" Koinu squealed happily from her spot by the window. Ryuu dashed over to join her. 

"Oops, gotta go change!" Sesshomaru gave his wife a quick kiss before running to the adjacent bathroom to change. When he heard his wife growl, he peaked from the bathroom door and yelled to her happily: "I love you, Rin!!"

^_~

Kagome clutched onto Inuyasha's sleeve and staggered behind him. Inuyasha growled, but not because of her. The entire building smelled like youkai, to be more specific, his half-brother. The gang followed Kouga and Ka-chan pass the automatic doors and followed a red rug to the direction of the elevator hall. Everyone looked around like tourists at the people that worked there. 

The building was literately crawling with mixed species. Inuyasha's nose was in pain with all these foreign smells. Most of the workers were human, but one out of five was youkai, or as Inuyasha guessed, hanyou. 

Everyone bowed to Kouga and Ka-chan as they passed. The humans gave Inuyasha no more than a glance. But the youkai and hanyou couldn't take their eyes off of him. They saw through Shippo's kitsune magic and realized that Inuyasha smelled similar to their boss.

Kouga picked the furthest elevator and pressed the "up" button. He sorted out his tie and was checking his reflection through the metal elevator door. Ka-chan giggled at the sight. 

The door opened with a "ding", no one was inside. The gang stepped in. Kagome and Ka-chan's heels made impact with the floor and the sound echoed. Kouga promptly pressed the button that said 88, and Ka-chan pressed 61.

"Are we going to split up?" Kagome asked Ka-chan. 

The older girl nodded and smiled. "My husband works on the 61st floor, I'm going to visit him. Besides, only authorized personnel are allowed on the 88th floor. And it's going to take me a few more centuries to get on the authorized list."

Kouga bent down and poked Shippo on the arm. "Hey, kid, take off all the disguises. Sesshomaru-sama's orders, he wants to see you all in youkai form."

Inuyasha growled at that, but Shippo obeyed Kouga's request. For the first time in a week, Inuyasha's dog ears were visible again. And the Tessaiga was no longer a useless wooden sword. Shippo popped back to chibi-size and jumped into Kagome's arms happily. Kirara's second tail reappeared and Sango would've picked her up if she wasn't so preoccupied with the monk's hand.

The elevator made no stops. Finally it stopped at the 61st floor. Inuyasha peeked outside as Ka-chan said good-bye. To his surprise, there were also both humans and youkai on this floor. But instead of being in full disguise, all the youkai were in their real forms. And none of the human seemed to notice anything odd.

"61st floor, marriage registration. Please proceed to the 62nd floor with your approved blood transfer application." A voice over the loudspeaker inside the elevator pronounced loudly. 

"Marriage registration?" Kagome repeated the words with a puzzled expression. "Don't you register at City Hall? And is this a hospital too?"

The elevator door closed and the lift began to ascend once more. Kouga grinned and replied somewhat secretively: "like I've said, Sesshomaru-sama will answer all your questions."

Inuyasha was very tempted to kick Kouga in the shins at this point. 

Finally, after what it seemed like an eternity. The elevator stopped on the 88th floor and everyone stepped out with mixed emotions. 

Inuyasha's growl became louder, and Kouga really couldn't blame him. Sesshomaru's smell was the strongest on this floor, it'd probably take Inuyasha a while to get used to it.

On the other hand, everyone else was looked around the oval room with gasping mouths and wide eyes. Kagome couldn't believe how fancy the place looked. In the center of the oval room was an empty reception desk, several security televisions laid on top of the desk. Shippo pointed at one of the TVs and yelled excitedly: "Hey, look, we're on TV!!"

Kagome, Sango, and Miroku were too distracted to reply to Shippo. They were all too busy gazing out the row of windows on the right side of the room. It gave them an amazing view of Kyoto. Everything, from the window panes to the walls to the floor to the reception desk was made from polished marble.

Directly across from the elevator was a gigantic red oak door, the knob seemed to be made from pure silver. Kagome gazed at the door knob and had to restrain herself from touching it.

"Is this real silver?!"

Kouga chuckled and rubbed his nose. "Nah, no way. I'd say white gold."

Everyone's jaw dropped.

Inuyasha's ear moved on top of his head. A high pitch sound was invading them. He shifted his body to the left of the oval room, but only saw his own image. Inuyasha figured that Sesshomaru must really love his own reflection, since the entire left side of the room was filled with mirrors. 

Suddenly, he heard a voice, clearer this time. It appeared to be someone talking.

"Hey, Ryuu-chan," The voice squeeled, "he's looking this way! Hello!!! Uncle, it's me!!! Hey, we look like him!!"

Inuyasha thought that he was going crazy. There was obviously no one else in the room. But next to him, Kouga was chuckling. 'Is this a magic trick?'

"Koinu, you baka, this is a one-way window," another voice responded, "he can't see us unless you press that button."

"Oh, right...." 

Apparently the voices were pretty loud now, since Kagome and the rest were also looking at the mirrors in search of the two voices. With a pretty loud click, the mirrors faded slightly. Inuyasha blinked once and the mirror no longer showed his reflection. 

It looked like an image from the past, or the future. Three pairs of eyes stared back into Inuyasha's, two of which glowed amber just like his own. Inuyasha's heart churned and skipped a beat. The two owners of the amber eyes looked just like him. One was a female, the other a male. Both of them had white and furry dog ears on top of their heads. Both had sharp fangs and claws but no markings of a full youkai. They looked no older than Kagome. They looked as if though they were Inuyasha's future pups.

As if that wasn't enough for Inuyasha's heart to do a flip-flop, Kagome's counterpart was standing right next to the two pups. The woman wore an elegant business suit. She looked about Ayame's current age, but her facial features resembled Kagome's.

The three figures on the other side of the glass grinned widely and waved to them. Inuyasha couldn't express his happiness. They looked like they were his family, waving back to him after a long day of work. There was an unexplainable joy. 

When no one moved, Kouga sighed and had to push all of them toward the oak door. "This way, guys, we can't talk through a window like a bunch of people in prison." 

Kagome and the bunch nodded vaguely and followed Kouga like lifeless zombies. The other side of the door was much bigger. Large windows occupied three sides of the wall. There was a closed smaller door in a corner. Three leather couches occupied the center of the office. A large marble desk faced the door. Behind the desk, a leather chair had its back to the visitors. 

One of the three faces Inuyasha saw through the window dashed toward him with unimpressive speed. It was the female pup. She stuck up her face right in front of Inuyasha's and forced him to step back a bit. Then without warning... she jumped on him. 

"Inuyasha-jichan!!! I'm so happy to finally meet you!!!" 

"What the fu... Gah, get off!!" Inuyasha attempted to pry the girl off. Kagome stared at the exchange with just a tiny bit of jealousy. Sango, Miroku, and Kouga chuckled at Inuyasha's reaction.

Then, the male youkai who looks just like the girl approached them calmly. "Sorry about my little sister, she's been waiting for this all week. I'm Mukashi Ryuu, this is my twin sister, Mukashi Koinu, the youngest of our family." Ryuu began to rub his sister's ear. "She gets overly emotional from time to time." Within a minute of rubbing, the girl's limbs relax and she fell onto the floor. Inuyasha took the chance to hide behind Kagome.

Ryuu left his sister on the floor and gestured to the older woman behind him. "This is our mother, Mukashi Rin."

"MOTHER?!" Everyone except for Kouga practically screamed. 

"Aren't you a little too young to be their mother?" Sango questioned. Their shock was not without reason. While Ryuu and Koinu look only 15 or 16 years old, Mukashi Rin looks like a woman in her late twenties. She could be a big sister, but not a mother. 

Then something else hit them...

Kagome stepped closer to the woman and asked hesitantly. "Did he just say that your name is... Rin?"

The woman smiled. "Yes, that is in fact my name, and I am their mother. Despise how I look, I'm actually a little more than 500 years old." She smile broadened. "Do you not remember me? I remember you...Kagome-neechan."

Kagome was absolutely speechless. Sango and Miroku also stared at the grown woman with undeniable disbelief. 

Inuyasha stepped out from hiding and quickly approached Rin's side. "Wait a second! Are you saying your that little human runt who used to follow Sesshomaru around all the time?!"

Rin chuckled and nodded shyly. Just when everyone was close to fainting, a booming voice echoed through the elegant office and caught Inuyasha completely off guard.

"Watch how you refer to my mate, hanyou!" 

The mixed group of humans, youkai, and hanyou all turned to the source of the commanding voice. The leather chair behind the marble desk spun around and Sesshomaru stood up, in his old attire with Toukijin and Tenseiga at his sides, still as regal and majestic as ever. 

Kagome took an involuntary step back and covered her mouth. Though back in the feudal era Sesshomaru was much older than Kouga, now, 500 years later, it seemed as though Sesshomaru aged much slower than the wolf prince. Like Rin, Sesshomaru had the appearance of someone in his late twenties. His elegant features were more stone-set and more mature. His beautiful silver hair was tied back loosely. And it looked like he's finally stopped using eye shadow. 

In a lightening speed that never failed to amaze Kagome, Sesshomaru drew out Toukijin and dashed toward Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, watch out!" Kagome screamed and Inuyasha dodged the attack just in time.

"Damn you Kouga!!" Inuyasha drew out Tessaiga as well. He ran to the middle of the office and transformed Tessaiga. "This is a trap, I should've known! Miroku, take the girls and get out of here!"

Sesshomaru stood still about three feet in front of Inuyasha. His face was emotionless. "Inuyasha," Sesshomaru's cold voice struck Inuyasha like a thunderbolt, "I've been waiting 500 years for this moment. Today... this Sesshomaru will take your life, and father's sword."

Inuyasha snarled at his half-brother. Behind Sesshomaru, Kagome and the group made no attempt to get out. In fact, they couldn't if they tried, for Rin and her two children blocked the door. 

Inuyasha growled once more. If they weren't in such a small enclosed space, he would've whipped out Kaze no Kizu already. Sesshomaru got him trapped, and with him, his friends are all in danger.

Sesshomaru somehow managed to move just as fast as normal. He attacked Inuyasha over and over with Toukijin. Inuyasha was slower, so he could only defend. Slowly, Sesshomaru was able to push Inuyasha into a corner of the room.

Sesshomaru had the point of his sword at Inuyasha's neck. "Inuyasha, how dare you come to this place..."

Inuyasha couldn't move his body because of the sword, but that didn't stop his mouth. "I didn't want to come either. Damn you, wolf!!"

Sesshomaru wasn't interested in Kouga. He pushed his sword forward just a little and cut a small wound on Inuyasha's neck. A thin line of blood trickled down Inuyasha's flesh.

"No, Inuyasha!!" 

Inuyasha heard Kagome's frantic cries, but he couldn't bear to look at her. 'How can I die here? In this foreign time? How can I die now?'

Sesshomaru's menacing stare burrowed into Inuyasha's soul. And then, with his ice-like tone, he spoke once more: "Inuyasha, how dare you come to this place... and not bring me a ham sandwich?" 

Silence filled the room. And then, without warning, Sesshomaru and his two children were on the floor, holding their stomachs, and laughing their asses off. Rin sighed and rubbed her temples.

"What's... going on...?" Miroku blinked several time before he found his voice. 

Rin sighed again and walked over to Sesshomaru. She kicked her husband on the back and said to the dazed Inuyasha: "I'm sorry, Inuyasha, my _stupid_ mate made me go through that little act. Idiot..."

Inuyasha was still speechless. His eyes were focused on the curled up body of Sesshomaru. His older brother was... laughing...

Finally Rin dragged Sesshomaru up and dumped him on the couch. Sesshomaru continued to laugh. "O man, you should've seen the look on our face. It was sooooo worth it."

Koinu sat down next to her father and cheered. "But I was right! Papa is still the strongest youkai on earth! He could've killed you if he wanted to, ya know, Inuyasha-jichan."

Ryuu walked over to Inuyasha and patted him on the back. "Hey, no hard feelings right? Dad just wanted to have a little fun." 

None of their words made Inuyasha feel any better. His brother was sitting on a leather couch, patting his niece's head. His _human_ sister-in-law was scolding his _hanyou_ nephew... is this an alternate universe?

Kouga was a little out of it. He straightened his suit and pushed Kagome and Sango slightly on the back to get them to move. "Let's go sit on the couch. We have a lot of things to explain."

Kagome and Sango could barely nod as they followed Kouga to take their seats. Inuyasha and Miroku changed somewhat frightened glances before sitting down next to their individual "girlfriends". Shippo and Kirara were in Kagome and Sango's laps, respectively. All six were friends were dazed. Shocked was an understatement.

**---- To be Continued...**

**Sorry about Sesshomaru's OOCness, but like Kouga, I figured that 500 years can seriously change someone, especially when the love of your life is with you. All your questions will be answer in "Tondemonai!! (Part 2)"**


	14. Tondemonai! Part 2

** ^_^ ahh... alcohol...**

**Chapter 14: Tondemonai!! Part II** (Fanfiction Contest!!!!!! I'm going to give away prizes. For details and requirements, check my profile.).

Silence filled the room, absolute, complete silence. Sesshomaru and his two children stared into Inuyasha's growling expression with indescribable amusement. Rin, on the other hand, sat on the armrest of Sesshomaru's seat with her arms crossed, brows furrowed, and not happy at all.

Kagome instinctively grasped Inuyasha's hand, her other hand lied gently on top of Shippo's head. Next to her, Sango and Miroku were more confused than nervous. 

Miroku frowned. While Inuyasha is obviously preoccupied with the fact of Sesshomaru's sudden personality change, Miroku has a lot more questions concerning... well, everything else.

Like, how come this human woman called Rin managed to live for 500 years while only gaining 20 years by her looks. Why Kagome has never heard of Mukashi Shinichi when he is so rich and famous? How come that temple Kagome mentioned no longer exists according to Kouga? What does Sesshomaru want with them? How come his children only look 10 years younger than him? Why is Sesshomaru younger looking than Kouga when he's at least a few hundred years older? 

The list goes on and on. And if he doesn't get any answers soon, Miroku is sure that he'll explode. 

Shippo, however, was simply creeped out. First of all, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's crazy killer of a brother was smiling at them, nicely no less. And his two children, Ryuu and Koinu, are just a little bit overly-hyper for his like. They looked a lot like Inuyasha, but with a sense of carefree-ness that Inuyasha was never able to enjoy. But the worst part of all was that his nose was failing him. 

Shippo smelled youkai on the human woman, Rin. Of course, she stilled smelled like a human, but a little different. And it wasn't just Sesshomaru's youkai smell, which would of course linger around his mate. But it was different, something that the young Shippo could neither comprehend nor describe.

Inuyasha clutched Kagome's hand as tightly as he can, while his other hand was upon the undisguised Tessaiga. His loyal sword vibrated in his palm, as if sensing the tension in his muscles. The only thing Inuyasha has in his mind at the moment was he image of Sesshomaru... laughing senselessly... 

Was he the only person that's absolute freaked out about that image?

The solid gold clock ticked on the wall as each second went by. Sesshomaru was still smirking, and Inuyasha was still reluctant to talk. Finally, Rin snapped.

"For Kami's sake, someone say something!!! Someone ask something! That incessant ticking is driving me nuts!!" 

Everyone looked onto Rin in surprise. Who would've thought that she'd be the first one to snap? That gentle little girl who's always smiling, laughing... the little girl that always had a glint in her innocent eyes... just what has Sesshomaru done to her carefree mind?

"Um..." Miroku coughed slightly and asked hesitantly, "I have a umm... question, if you don't mind answering... Rin... –sama..."

Rin inhaled deeply and forced a smile on her face. "Of course, Miroku-san."

Miroku raised his index finger and opened his mouth, but before any sound came out of it, Inuyasha jumped up and slammed a hand on the coffee table and practically yelled: "Who's the hell are you, and what have you done to Sesshomaru!?!"

Ryuu and Koinu burst out in laughter once more. But this time, a pinch from Rin helped Sesshomaru control himself.

Sesshomaru replied with his icy tone of voice and an added annoyance to convince Inuyasha of his real identity, "use your nose, you useless hanyou. You should know it when your much superior sibling is before you. This Sesshomaru will not tolerate any more of your idiot questions." 

Rin sighed and slapped her forehead. Her two children were gasping for air at their father's "new" personality. Even Sesshomaru had a hard time holding back his glee. 

But at least this tactic calmed Inuyasha down. Enough for Kagome to drag him back down on the couch and for Miroku to ask his real questions.

"Yes, anyway, Rin-sama, I do not to be rude, but... why... how are you still..."

Rin finally gave a genuine smile. "That might be a little complicated to explain." She then nudged her husband/mate on the shoulder and grinned wider as she saw the blush begin to surface on the century old taiyoukai's beautifully shaped cheeks.

"Well, umm... about ten years after the four of you mysteriously disappeared from the Western Lands, Naraku was gone as well, along with the Shikon jewel. I resumed father's position as Lord and stopped my wanderings. Jaken still followed me around, but we figured that it was time to... um... marry Rin off. She was eighteen and becoming an old maid." This got him a glare from his mate.

"But, it was harder than I figured, Rin was too wild and never really lived in a civilized society. It was nearly impossible to find her a human husband..."

Rin glared at him again and fixed his statement. "How was it my fault? You just dropped me off in the center of a village and expected someone to pick me up. But you had to watch over me from nearby. Every time a human male approached me you came down and sacred him off."

Koinu picked this moment to cut in. She folded her arms on top of Sesshomaru's head and leaned down lightly. "That was because papa was in love with mama, ne?! He didn't really want to let mama go, ne, papa, ne?!!"

Sesshomaru grunted slightly. Seeing that their daughter had put her mate in an uncomfortable position, Rin decided to be a little kinder and came to Sesshomaru's rescue.

"I didn't want to leave my Sesshomaru-sama either. So I just kinda attached myself to him. Sesshomaru gave in after a while. A long while, but he still finally gave in. He revoked the youkai law that forbade inter-specie marriages and we were mated right away..."

"But that wasn't enough." Sesshomaru wiped away the goofy look on his face and turned serious. "To stay together, we had to figure out a way to slow down Rin's aging process. I went through father's secret library and found a secret scroll, the same one that he used on your mother, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's ears perked up. He stared into his half-brother's eyes with some shock, and old resentment. 'Haha-ue...'

Sesshomaru went on, his eyes never left Inuyasha's golden orbs. His words were emotionless, but his eyes said it all. 

Sesshomaru was sorry.

"It turned out that father used the same method I used on Rin to keep your mother alive when she should've died long ago. But after father was killed in that battle, your mother's life support was gone and she could no longer live."

"What kind of 'method' was it?" Sango couldn't help but feel out of place in this family discussion. But curiosity can't be suppressed.

Sesshomaru's answer was simple: "full blood transfer." He paused a while to see the shock on his audience's faces. "I... I had to drain Rin's blood save a little to keep her body fresh. Then I forced most of my own blood into her body. Before I fainted from blood loss, I revived her with Tenseiga. It was a dangerous process, especially with all the youkai that were out for my head. I was weak for days. But..."

He turned to his mate and grasped her hand. The two stared at each other and said nothing more of the topic. Kagome and Sango smiled at the scene. Inuyasha would've gagged, but the look in Sesshomaru's eyes was just simply too distracting.

Sesshomaru, the youkai who shares part of his blood and who once had hunted him, who once hated human as if they were the scum of the earth... Now he has a human mate, someone he risked his life to convert to a pseudo-youkai. And his two pups, two hanyou pups, surrounded him and his mate. It was the perfect image, an image that's been gnarling at the back of Inuyasha's mind for too, too long.

The perfect moment was finally disrupted by a not-so-discrete cough from Kouga. Rin drew herself away from her husband's golden eyes and turned her attention back to Miroku and awaited her next inquisition. The next question however, came from Kagome, and it was directed at Ryuu and Koinu. 

"How old are you? If you don't mind me asking..." 

Koinu was half a second away from jumping on Kagome, but her brother pulled her back. "We're both sixteen," the calmer of the sibling replied politely, "Our seventeenth birthday is next month. We're going to Tokyo to visit our oldest brother." 

"You're only sixteen?!" Kagome gasped.

"You have another brother?!" Inuyasha turned to meet Sesshomaru's dumbfounded expression, "Just how many children do you have, _brother_?"

Rin leaned down slightly and whispered to Sesshomaru, "I'm sensing a little sarcasm in that 'brother', don't you?"

Sesshomaru smiled his disturbing grin for the thousandth time that day. "Well, considering that I've been mated for 500 years, please don't be shocked when you hear my answer."

Inuyasha frowned.

"We've had a little over 80 pups, 43 girls and 39 boys, including Ryuu and Koinu there were 6 sets of twins, 2 sets of triplets. All were born healthy, all had golden eyes ad white hair, and all inherited your weird ears. Little, brother, I had to live with your image for the last 500 years even though you weren't here."

While everyone else were too surprised to react to this new piece of information, Miroku, always the perceptive one, caught Sesshomaru's grammar usage.

"Why past tense?" The monk's brows furrowed, he has a feeling that this topic is going to be a sensitive one.

"Well..." Sesshomaru scratched his head nervously. Next to him, Rin sat up straight and her body instantly stiffened. "Just because they're my children doesn't mean they have all of my blood. They're all hanyou after all. And the last 500 years were filled with turmoil. Out of the 82 children we had... Nearly 30 passed away..."

Sesshomaru's voice was so... casual. And it killed Inuyasha. The oldest hanyou in the room would never have guessed that he would one day feel sorry for his older brother. But now, he's sitting here, watching the expression on his brother's face dim. His brother's mate, his sister-in-law, completely dispirited. 

"Why?" 

It was a weird question to ask in such a moment. It wasn't a "how", it was a "why", as though he was questioning kami's intention. Like always, fate was against the inu-taiyoukai family.

Sesshomaru could no longer look into Inuyasha's eyes. He could no longer smile, his mate could no longer growl, and their pups were no longer hyper-active. It was like time has purposely slowed down to give this moment a melodramatic edge. 

Inuyasha hated melodramatic.

"What was it? Sickness, war... Naraku?" 

Sesshomaru shook his head slowly. "Naraku, he was gone. No idea where he went, just gone. Probably dead."

Miroku glanced at his hand. "Not yet. The kazaana is still here. Naraku is still alive." 

Sesshomaru didn't seem to have heard Miroku. "Most of them died in battle. Humans waged many wars over the year. They were too young and too inexperienced. They insisted on going out to fight; even the girls were fanned by their bloodlust nature. And in the end, they were killed. And then, 10 or so died of old age, they were only hanyou. Oh, did I tell you, I have 12 grandchildren; they come to visit me on holidays. And oh, Rin, did you get that letter from Aki? Aki's my oldest grandson, 200 years old and just got mated; his child is supposed to be born within the month. I'm going to be a great-grandfather soon..."

The topic trailed far. Sesshomaru just continued to ramble on and on. Kagome's heart tightened. She remembers such a scene. The month that her father passed, her mother simply wouldn't stop talking about random subjects. From teapots, to the economy in Scandinavia, anything was better to talk about than the death of Kagome's father. 

"... Now, old Tomoeda, or Kouga, or whatever you call him, is a great-great-great-great-great... Oh, I don't know, I've lost count. Our family has a lot of prestige; we only intermarry with rich and famous youkai and humans. And our pups have more sense than to marry at human ages. Now, Kouga, don't give me that look, you know what I'm talking about..."

Sango and Kagome looked worriedly at each other. Sesshomaru has begun to flail his arms around and making dramatic gestures. Rin, Ryuu, and Koinu remained silent by his side with their heads turned away. 

Inuyasha couldn't keep on watching anymore. He was close to punching his brother square on the jaw. It probably won't do much, but at least it would bring some sense into him. Sesshomaru was showing too much emotion, too much weakness. It was getting too dangerous.

"Oh, don't you guys think I look so much younger than Kouga? Thanks to my taiyoukai blood, of course. I age even slower than normal full blooded youkai..."

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha cried out his brother's name with more seriousness and sympathy than he could ever gather. It was four syllables of pure horror, pure compassion, pure... love?

Sesshomaru stopped his ranting. He first made eye contact with Inuyasha. Then, with a sigh of defeat, he grabbed Rin's hand again and dropped his head. 

"Do you know how hard it is, brother," Inuyasha accept the title with no sense of disgust this time, "to watch your children grow wrinkles before you do, to watch them die one by one right in front of you..."

Inuyasha swallowed. "Why didn't you use Tenseiga? Or transfer your blood into them like you did with your mate?"

Sesshomaru scoffed half-heartedly. "You never do think, do you, brother? Sure, Tenseiga can revive them. But they'll still be old, weak, and they'll still be suffering in sickness' grasp. And the ones that died in battles, I could not even find their remains. Transfer my blood into them links them directly to myself. So if something were to happen to me, they all would... I don't plan on bringing my entire lineage to the other world with me.

"The brother that Ryuu mentioned, the one they're going to visit next week, is actually already dead. We're going to visit his grave. He was the first child Rin and I had. Ryuu and Koinu were born on the same day 300 years after his death. So it's sort of a family tradition to go see his grave on that day." Sesshomaru finally looked up. "Our family grave is in Tokyo, Inuyasha, near the Beika district. I hope you wouldn't mind going to see them with us. I'm sure my children would want to see their uncle. The entire family will be there"

Inuyasha didn't give a response, he simply couldn't. Sesshomaru was calm again. Inuyasha searched his eyes, and found no more pain and devastation. Sesshomaru's attitude might have changed severely. But it looks like he can still keep his emotions under control, under a shield.

"I think," Kouga interrupted the silence, "we should stop the interrogations now. We still have so much work to do and things to discuss."

Sesshomaru nodded and stood up. "Let us show you around the building. I think you'll find it worth your time. Rin, take our guests down first, I want to speak with Inuyasha privately."

Rin nodded and kissed Sesshomaru on the cheek. Her lips lingered a little, hesitant to draw herself back. Finally, she beckoned her children and everyone else to follow her. 

Within seconds, only Inuyasha and Sesshomaru remained in the room.

Inuyasha watched Kagome's back disappear from view. For some reason, he felt lonely all of a sudden. As if Kagome was leaving his side forever and will never come back. He was missing her warmth, the feeling of her hands in his. 

Only after a cough from Sesshomaru did Inuyasha realize his current position. He turned his attention on the youkai before him. For once, the brothers looked at each other with no growls, no frowns, no sneers, no resentment, and absolutely no hatred whatsoever. 

It felt... nice.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru voluntarily broke the comfortable silence. "I called you here for a reason, obviously. I learned of your 'reappearance' this Monday. And if I could've, I would've gone to you immediately. But I am a busy youkai and an even busier businessman. As of this moment I am wasting time talking to you when I could be making million dollar deals. So I'm going to have to put back my serious face and tell you directly... your existence here is a problem."

Inuyasha sensed no threat from his brother's cold statement. In fact, even though Sesshomaru tried to be insensitive, it came out more as pleading than warning. And so, Inuyasha replied in his calmest tone possible: "why?"

"I can't answer your questions without confusing you," Sesshomaru rubbed his temples, "I'm actually pretty confused myself. So just don't ask anymore questions, Inuyasha, go back immediately. Go back to 500 years ago, and take all of your friends with you."

Again, Inuyasha remained impassive and simply asked: "why?"

Sesshomaru was gaining a headache way too quickly and loosing his patience too. "Didn't I tell you to stop asking stupid questions?! Go home now!!"

Inuyasha stood up calmly. He leaned over the coffee table until his face was inches away from his brothers. Then, with a speed that his brother couldn't even see, he grabbed Sesshomaru's collars and lifted the youkai up.

"Let me tell_ you_ something, Sesshomaru. _You_ didn't see how Kagome bled that day. _You _didn't have your clothes seeped through with the tears of the one you love! As long as Mikagi is in the same school as her, as long as Kagome feel the need to return to this time, she's in danger. Mikagi has already made a move. I didn't tell Kagome this, but I feel that this play idea wasn't a coincidence. _Something_ is going to happen soon, I don't know what it is, but my youkai senses are driving me _crazy_! And so, _you_ have no authority to tell me to go home." Inuyasha released his brother. "And guess what? I _like_ it here. I am safe here, I am fed here. Everyone I love is here, safe from danger, safe from the past-you, and safe from Naraku. We're _happy_ as of now, and we have no intention of leaving anytime soon."

Sesshomaru scoffed. "Who are you kidding, Inuyaha? You've been fighting Naraku for a year. _I_'ve been fighting him for the past 500 years, and I still am. Ninety-nine percent of the human population does not know about Naraku's existence. Most youkai have not heard about him and have never felt his wrath. Even my own children, the younger ones, have not heard about him. And do you know why? Because I've put my entire life into it to keep the world safe from that bastard."

"What..."

"I've seen my mate bleed; I've seen her die, more than once. After you and your comrades mysteriously disappeared from the world, Naraku was desperate because he could not find the Shikon shards that you held. And so he came to find me. Rin was only ten at the time. I couldn't protect her. And Naraku cut open her chest. I fought Naraku off too late, and Rin died for the second time. And then I had to revive her and watch her come to life, only to faint again from pain. The next two months I spent healing her wound. In that interval, Rin died countless times. And it was your entire fault!"

"How was it..."

"And even then, Naraku wouldn't give up. He came after us again and again. I couldn't chase him anymore; I had Rin and our children to protect. We were vulnerable to his attacks. Naraku was never my problem, it was never my fight. But because you were gone, my family and I had to take on the burden.

"In this age, Naraku's youkai power is not longer a threat. But the amount of weapons he holds is dangerous. Youkai power and lineage had died out considerably. That's why humans are no longer aware of us, even though we're amongst them constantly. I'm in charge of all the youkai in Japan, and only the Prime Minister himself and a few members of the Diet* know of my real identity and purpose. Naraku is the source of all wars, terrorism, horrors that far surpass the ones that you've seen. I lost seven of my children in the youkai war that he raged in the 18th century!

"Go back, Inuyasha, and take your friends with you. It's the only way that we can change the present. You can still come to the present, but never can you stay this long again. And your friends... I heard your conversation on my jet, it was bugged. The Shōkoku-ji temple Kagome mentioned, I don't believe she was hallucinating. Perhaps the temple was really rebuilt and existed. But because of your presence here, it caused a fault in history and caused the temple to disappear."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Your monk friend, have you never considered the possibility that he'll have children once day, possibly with that Taijiya girl, and perhaps their children were destined to help in the rebuilding of Shōkoku-ji temple? He's still a Buddhist monk, despite his... hobbies."

"So you're saying..."

"The monk and the girl are here too long, in history, they no longer exist. If they don't exist, how can there be any children or grandchildren? Without their children, how can Shōkoku-ji temple be rebuilt? The only person who realized this was Kagome, only she lived in both times. However this may seem strange to Kouga and I, we can't make heads or tail of it. This is merely a hypothesis. But everything points to this as the only explanation."

Inuyasha didn't argue with Sesshomaru's hypothesis, whatever the word meant. "But what about you and your money? Wouldn't that Bill Gates guy be the richest man if we change history back to the way it was?"

Sesshomaru chuckled. He knew Inuyasha couldn't possibly worry about him. He just wanted a good excuse to leave the way everything is. Inuyasha, actually likes the life here, as a normal teenager.

"I'm not a rich man, I'm not human, remember? Besides, the only reason for my wealth is the amount of support the government gave to me secretly in order to fight against Naraku. Moreover, I'd pick my children's lives over money any day. Maybe some day, Inuyasha, you'll understand how I feel."

Inuyasha grinded his fangs. Sesshomaru made sense. Everything the older brother said was perfectly reasonable. Inuyasha was very tempted to grab Miroku and Sango and jump through the well. But...

"But Kagome... I don't want to leave her here with Mikagi still after her."

"Don't worry about Kagome, I'll take care of that."

Inuyasha grinned. "Now who's the stupid one? Once I go back, you won't even remember this conversation. You could be anyone and anywhere in this time. History will be restored, remember? I have to stay here, at least until the danger passes for Kagome. Then I'll go back."

"No, you haven't thought this through!" Sesshomaru pounded the coffee table. "If Naraku senses the Shikon shard, he'll come after you immediately. He probably already knows that you've resurfaced and could be planning in secret right now. And what about that woman, Kikyo, the dead one? Naraku's henchwoman, Kagura, killed her shortly after your disappearance. Don't you want her to live?"

Inuyasha almost fainted. "Kikyo... I, no, I... NO! Sesshomaru, Kikyo can still be revived once I go back. But I _have_ to stay here until I make sure the Mikagi siblings will never harm Kagome again. You of anyone should be able to understand this. What if it was Rin?"

Sesshomaru remained still, unresponsive. He then slowly stood up and walked toward the closet. "I have to change back into my business suit. Rin and your friends are waiting for us. Don't forget our talk, Inuyasha. Once you take care of those humans, I'll personally push you into that time well."

"There will be no need for that... _brother._"

"Is that a heartfelt 'brother' I hear?"

Inuyasha scoffed. 

Review!!!!!

Check my profile for information on the fanfiction contest (And yes, I'm throwing a fanfiction contest, with prizes!!!!!!). Everything is there.

*Diet – Not the thing that you claim you'll do but never get around to it. It's the equivalent of Parliament in England and Congress in America. 

I hate typing out numbers, so they're pretty much all Arabic.

Mata atoude!!


	15. Knight in Shining Armor

**I hate checking for typos and grammatical errors. I try my best to avoid them when writing like a speed demon, so sorry if there are grammatical errors (I know I tend to switch tenses) or bad typos (these are merely slip of the typing fingers, I'm not an idiot, I know how to spell. Look, d-o-g, that's cat!!! J/K).  **

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha…. *drool* me want... can't have… NOOOOOOO!!!!!!**

**^_~**

**Chapter 15: Knight in Shining Armor**

"Say no more, my love, I shall stand by you forever!" 

The already lighted Great Hall beamed brighter as a ray of lightening brightened the dark sky. Thunder clapped outside the school building and several girls screamed. Oak tree branches tapped rhythmically against the high windows. The already tense ambiance inside the Great Hall increased tenfold with the addition of a rather creepy atmosphere.

A glare from a steaming hanyou calmed the screams down to mere whispers. Pouring rain mixed with the low humming of the ventilation system provided a distraction for Inuyasha's pent-up anger, anger that could very well be spent on chopping a certain third-grader to sashimi. 

Up on stage, Kagome's miko robe flowed gently as she moved frantically. Her emotions gushed out through her wavy hair, through her slim body, through her shaky arms, all the way to her slender fingertips. Her eyes, slightly wet with tears, shook under the glimmering stage light. Around Inuyasha, their friends Miroku and Sango watched intently as Kagome went through the same scene for the hundredth time that afternoon. Several rows away, Mikagi Akiko and her friends yawned and made noises whenever it was time for Kagome's monologues. The costume crew, the tech crew, the props crew ran back and forth below and back stage constantly, dodged feet and whispered the upcoming cues.

It was hectic. And the rumbling of the thunderstorm outside did not make it any easier. 

Inuyasha studied the pattern of his costume to distract himself from Kagome's performance. Today was supposed to be their first dress rehearsal for the first two acts. Chie sensei decided to split up rehearsals to loosen their burdens. Inuyasha's first appearance was already over. Now he was to sit calmly below stage to watch Kagome and Mikagi Toji's first romance scene. 

_Calmly_? Maybe not.

"What the hell is Kagome doing?! 'My love'? What the fuck?! I don't remember reading that in the script? And aren't they standing just a little bit too close?" Inuyasha mumbled to himself rather loudly. Two seats away, Miroku and Sango leaned against each other and whispered amongst themselves. But even if they talked loudly, as long as they didn't mention Kagome or Mikagi Toji's names, Inuyasha wouldn't be able to hear them at all.

Miroku leaned his head backwards and said to Inuyasha, "what do you mean, the line's right here on page twenty-four."

Inuyasha's menacing growl was his reply. It wasn't fair. Kagome was _his_ girl, didn't they establish that a week ago? _He_ should be the one on stage, holding Kagome's waist close to him, and whispering "I'll protect you" in her ear. Mikagi Toji was nothing but an Inuyasha-wannabe. And why, Inuyasha asked Kami more than once, why did _he _have to play Sesshomaru's character and be killed by the end of the play? Kami-sama had a strange sense of humor. 

Mikagi Toji looked awfully smug up there. His long fingers engulfed Kagome's hands. They looked into each other's eyes and whispered, well, not really whispered since they were in a rehearsal, words of promised love to each other. Chie sensei was certainly a great writer, and by the sounds of her script, a little too hung up on romance novels. The woman needed a hobby, or maybe a man.

Inuyasha didn't know who to hit first. Mikagi Toji, Chie sensei, or Miroku for his incessant snickers. But you get the point, he was _not _pleased. In his point of view, the plot sucked, his role sucked, and moreover, his deserved a better name.

When Chie sensei wrote the script, she decided that Inuyasha's name was very suitable for the plot, ya know, how it meant "dog demon" and everything, so she dubbed the main character "Inuyasha". So now, the real Inuyasha gets to sit in the audience seat and growl while pseudo-Inuyasha, a.k.a Mikagi Toji whispered sweet love words to the girl that the real Inuyasha is in love with. How quaint. 

Inuyasha (the real one) hated it, simply hated it. So now not only did Toji take his girl, but his name as well. His name was _unique_, one of a kind! How dare that human woman give his **name** away like a toy? It was unforgivable, someone here deserved to be fed to Tessaiga. 

As for Inuyasha's stage name... well, he didn't even have one. He's noted as Kunshu-sama, and that's plain stupid since it's not a real name, it's a title. He's just "Lord", there's no "Lord-whatever", just "Lord." 

Lost yet?

**AND** as if that wasn't bad enough, Inuyasha received a delicious piece of information from his _beloved _brother...

-----Flashback-----

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru finally finished their little chat and decided to join Kagome and Rin and the others on their little tour. Sesshomaru changed back into his business suit. With the snap of a finger, his pointy ears disappeared, and his long silvery hair changed into short and black strands, very "business-like", and indeed very modern. 

Inuyasha sniffed at his half-brother's disguise. Sesshomaru obviously heard his unapparent comment, for he glanced back and gave Inuyasha a rather evil-looking smirk. "Do you have a problem with the way I look, little brother?"

"Keh." Inuyasha gave a short response. He walked past Sesshomaru with his arms folded and hands in his sleeves. As he reached he elevator, he pressed the down button since it was the only thing there. Finally Inuyasha squeezed out a little "you look stupid". 

Sesshomaru was split between laughing and hanyou-chopping. "So says the one who wears a completely red outfit."

Inuyasha sputtered. He remembered one time when Myouga and Shippo ganged up on him and made fun of his fashion sense. Sesshomaru hit a sore spot. 

The fashionable youkai lord pressed the button that said 61. The elevator hummed as it descended. Inuyasha had a strange sensation that he was falling.

It didn't take long for the elevator to "ding". "61th floor, marriage application. Please proceed to the 62nd floor with your approved blood transfer application." The robotic voice echoed in the metallic box. Sesshomaru stepped out and Inuyasha followed.

When Ka-chan stopped here before, Inuyasha only had a few seconds to observe the floor. There were youkai and hanyou and humans around, and tons of mix-blooded creatures. The smell was about to drive him crazy. Inuyasha wondered how Sesshomaru could stand it. 

As to the exact number of youkai on this floor, Inuyasha estimated about four hundred. Most of them stood in lines with paperwork in their hands. But a few dozens were in navy blue uniforms and sat behind marble desks. Sesshomaru must've taken a liking to marble since the last time he saw the guy.

As soon as Sesshomaru stepped outside the elevator, everyone turned around to see the newcomer. But as soon as his smell and looks settled in their brains, at least half of the occupants on this floor bowed. And to Inuyasha's surprise, the only ones who didn't bow were the ones that smelled 100% human. But more importantly, none of the youkai were shaking from fear. Their heartbeats were calm, and a lot of them had genuine smiles on their faces. When did his half-brother become so popular?

Sesshomaru gave all of them a nod of his head as they all rose from their bows. Inuyasha caught some humans ask their youkai companions who Sesshomaru was. And their replies went on the lines of "our savior". 

Sesshomaru walked deeper into the crowd and nodded to his employees from time to time. Inuyasha followed him like a lost and confused puppy. 

"Oi, Sesshomaru, who are these people... and youkai?" 

Sesshomaru didn't slow his pace. "They're all here to apply for legal interracial marriage licenses. When humans get married, they generally go to city hall. All married couples need a license to prove their relationship. Youkai, of course, have no need for such a process. The bond of mating itself is proof enough. But when humans join with youkai, like Rin and I, or when youkai of different races join, like Kouga's granddaughter and one of my kitsune employees, they need to come here for a complicated process.

"We grant them their marriage license on several terms. First they need to apply for an interview, that's what that line over there is for. A few days later they come back for the interview. Now see those people on our right, they're waiting for their interview. If they pass the interview, and most of them do, their marriage applications will be stamped and they're then divided into two groups. 

"For youkai interracial mates, they mostly just need to pass the interview and receive their license. But for human-youkai marriages, they need to go to the floor above and wait for me to step in."

Sesshomaru stopped in front of a desk and spoke to the female employee who sat behind. Sesshomaru spoke some words that Inuyasha did not recognize, words like "pasokon" and "konpuutaa".* 

Sesshomaru nodded his thanks and turned to walk back toward the elevator. He pressed the up button and the door opened immediately. The two brothers stepped inside and Sesshomaru pressed the button that read 62. "Kouga and the others are already up there. I hope Jaken doesn't start anything."

"That little toad is still alive?" Inuyasha asked with some minor disgust. 

Sesshomaru chuckled. Inuyasha was still not used to his brother's change in personality. The elevator door stepped open once again and Inuyasha followed Sesshomaru out.There were less people on this floor. Most of them were either full human or part youkai. 

"Anyway, like I told you, I had to give Rin a full blood transfer when I decided to make her my mate. And in order to do so, I required the help of Tenseiga and a safe haven to hide while I heal from blood lose. Here in Musashi Corp. we help human/youkai couples get through this process. And since I'm the only one who can wield Tenseiga, I must come down to this floor several times a day. Jaken is in charge of the rest of the things."

"What a regular do-gooder you are." Inuyasha scoffed. He wondered for a second how these humans and youkai would think if he told them about Sesshomaru's ruthless past. 

Sesshomaru ignored that comment. He pointed to a group of people far away. "There are your friends. I think they... oh no..."

"What's wrong?"

Sesshomaru sighed. "Jaken's office is over there. Koinu probably got into a fight with him again. Look, Rin's rubbing her temples."

Inuyasha berated Sesshomaru. "Just what have you done to that girl over the years? She looks stressed enough to jump off this building."

Sesshomaru shrugged. "I guess Rin's just as upset as I am. After all, as soon as our kids turn into teens, they're no longer permitted to call us "mama" and "papa". How would the humans think if Koinu and Ryuu yells "mom" to someone who only looks a few years older than them? To the outside world, Koinu and Ryuu are merely orphans that Rin and I adopted. This age thing has its perks and disadvantages. And well... we sort of switched personalities after the first century of marriage."

"Yea, I can tell." Inuyasha was about to say something else. But a couple next to them suddenly darted into their path and bowed to Sesshomaru.

"Musashi-sama, thank you for this opportunity..." The male who was a youkai was nearly in tears. "My human mate and I thank you for all that you have given us." 

His mate, a beautiful young girl, bowed as well. "Doomo Arigatoo gozaimasu, Musashi-sama. This lowly human girl will never forget your kindness." 

Sesshomaru shook his head. "Don't ever think you're lowly just because you're a human." He waved his hand to signal them to get up. "When is your procedure scheduled?"

The male answered, "Next Saturday, my Lord."

Sesshomaru smiled at them. "Then I shall see you again next week."

Inuyasha stared at the couple's retreating figure in wonder. He almost jumped out of his shell as he saw the blissful look on Sesshomaru's face. Inuyasha felt like he was about to retch. 

"Keh, maybe I should write a book and tell them about what you've done to humans 500 years ago." 

Sesshomaru chuckled again. "Oh, you could... but I already did."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "And what lies did you include in your book?"

"No lies, all truth. I wrote about the life at that time, the wars in both human and youkai history. I wrote about my endless search for Tessaiga, how I almost killed you several times, and of course, how I must've slaughtered thousands of humans. It's written as a fictional story for human entertainment. But it's actually a textbook in youkai schools." 

Inuyasha was a little bit speechless. "Well... uh... hey, what do you mean you almost killed me?! What about all those times that I almost killed _you_?!"

Sesshomaru waved his hand carelessly. "That was only one time and it was a fluke. You and I both know it. There is no need to write about flukes in a history textbook. Besides, in the human version of the book, the version that I altered a little, I gave you the Tessaiga and Shikon no Tama in the ending, so be happy."

"You didn't _give_ them to me! I fought for them!!"

Sesshomaru shrugged again. "Whatever. I was actually very disappointed when your English teacher used my book as a source and changed it into a romantic play. Women, what can you do with them..."

"Wait, how did you know about..."

"I'm rich, thus I know everything." Sesshomaru smirked proudly. "Oh, and by the way, I'm coming to see your performance... Kunshu-sama."

"Oh, no you're not."

"Oh, yes I am, and I'm bringing Rin and Koinu and Ryuu with me."

"No way in hell!!"

"It'll be fun, a little family outing."

"Die, Sesshomaru!!!"

"Brother... meet my personal bodyguard, the ex-sumo wrestler Hanayama-san."

... ... ... ... ... ...

-----End Flashback-----

Inuyasha unconsciously rubbed his sore neck. Word of warning from the hanyou: do not wrestle with a 7-feet tall ex-yokozuna.** Inuyasha learned his lesson the hard way. 

"Hey, Inuyasha, are you getting a little bored?"

Kagome voice reached his invisible dog ears and Inuyasha shot up instantly. "Kagome, you're done?" 

Kagome shook her head sadly. "Chie sensei wants this scene to be perfect. She told us to take a break while she thinks of some new way to perfect the blocking." Kagome fidgeted with her sleeve. "Hey, Inuyasha, try not to get too mad at sensei, she's just over enthusiastic. She never meant to..."

"Keh." Inuyasha interrupted her rudely. "How much longer do we have to stay?"

"I don't know. But it's raining really hard out, and I didn't bring an umbrella today." Kagome turned and poked the sleeping Miroku. "Miroku, you and Sango-chan should head back. You don't really need to stay."

Miroku and Sango both sat up and rubbed their eyes. "Are you sure, Kagome-chan?" 

Kagome nodded. "You can go to Kouga's office, I think he's still here. Maybe he can give you guys a ride."

Miroku grabbed Sango's hand. "Yea, we really should head back. *yawn* Oh, man, I'm so tired. I don't know how modern kids get through school everyday. And to think, it's a 12-year system."

Kagome laughed lightly. "We try." 

"Bye then, Kagome-chan, Inuyasha. Hopefully you guys figure out a way to get out of the rain." Sango gave Kagome a hug. "Oh, and... break a leg."

"Oi, Sango, what do you mean by that?!" Inuyasha gave Sango an angry growl at her choice of words, but the youkai exterminator merely rolled her eyes at him.

Miroku and Sango left the Great Hall, Kagome watched them go with a little sadness. 

"Oh, wait, Inuyasha, you should go with them!"

Inuyasha scoffed and sank deeper into his seat. "I ain't going nowhere without you."

Kagome rolled her eyes at his bad grammar. "No, I mean, you can take Kouga's car back to the shrine and come back to pick me up with an umbrella, baka."

Inuyasha growled but decided to let that baka comment pass. "But are you going to be alright here all by yourself?"

Kagome squeezed his hand. "I'm not by myself. There are tons of people here. Don't worry. We'll still be rehearsing when you come back. Now hurry and go catch Miroku and Sango-chan before they're gone."

Inuyasha looked around and saw several eyes on him. He growled again to hide his embarrassment. Quickly, he leaned up and gave Kagome a small peck on her forehead. "Wait for me." 

The young miko blushed as her knight in shining uniform ran out the door. She was still a bit dazed from that fleeting moment of intimateness that she didn't noticed Mikagi Toji approach Chie sensei. And furthermore, she didn't notice the worried look on Chie sensei's face, and a bright smirk on Akiko's. 

***Five minutes later***

"Okay, I can't figure out anything!" Chie sensei gave her hair a slight pull in frustration. Mikagi Toji applauded her for her acting skills. But of course he didn't let anyone see. "Okay, you know what, let's wrap it up for today. Why don't you guys clean up and we'll continue this tomorrow. I'll figure out something tonight. Bye everyone, don't let the rain hit you on your way out!" The woman ran out in a hurry and left all her charges gazing after her.

Toji had to wince at that last part though. '"Don't let the rain hit you on your way out"? What the hell was she thinking?' Toji would've worried about the teacher's mental welfare if he actually gave a crap.

Toji turned his head toward his sister's direction and gave Akiko a smirk and a wink. Tonight he was going to prove to her that he had no interest in that Higurashi girl. With his left hand, he signaled his "followers" to help in the cleanup process. The faster they clean up, the faster they have to leave the place. And hopefully, Higurashi's boyfriend won't show up in the mean time. 

Toji noticed how Kagome was fidgeting in her chair. None of her friends were there. The Great Hall was filled with Mikagi supporters. She had a good reason to fidget. 

The clean up was done in a matter of seconds. Of course, it was mainly because Marusato decided to stuff everything into a closet. Order and neatness didn't matter. The Great Hall was shut down. People began their journey home. And Kagome stood alone in the pouring rain and waited to Inuyasha. 

She would've stayed there longer, but she sensed the upcoming danger. Toji and his ever faithful gang were only a few feet away. Kagome shifted a few feet away, and Toji's gang still remained. 'Don't they have a fancy limo to climb into?' Kagome gazed out into the empty street. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen. The occasional car passed by and splashed water onto the sidewalk. Kagome was wet, cold, and her bangs dripped with rainwater were covering her already blurry eyesight. 

This was bad.

And it just got worse as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

The contact sent a chill down her spine. Kagome jerked around on reflex. The rain didn't let up at all. Her entire body was covered in rainwater. Her uniform stuck to her slim body. She was soaked through. 

Kagome tucked a stray strand of wet hair behind her ear. In front of her stood Toji and six of his friends. Akiko and Sonoko were a little far away. They were shielded by two pink umbrellas. A sense of intense satisfaction shone on their makeup-covered faces. 

This was definitely bad.

"Wha... what do you want?" Kagome didn't want to stammer. This was the time to show weakness. Oh, how she wished she had her bow and arrow with her. Sure, she can't use miko powers against humans, but she could at least scare them with her archery skills.

Toji smirked. He turned his body slightly and yelled to his sister. "Akiko, turn around, this is going to get brutal."

Akiko gave a horrifying laugh. Of course, she made no efforts to turn away.

Toji turned back to Kagome. "My imooto, she's such a brave girl. Now the question is, Higurashi, are you brave as well?"

Kagome wanted to spit at his face. 

"My imooto doesn't like you, Higurashi. She wants me to hurt you. And you know that I can't possibly hurt such a cute little face. But..." Toji nodded his head toward Akiko. "I can't resist that cute little face either. So, between you and my imooto... she wins, by far..."

Toji gave no more warning as his fist connected with Kagome's cheek. His punch drove Kagome back a few steps. "I normally don't hit girls. So this is going to be on my conscious for a while. Oh well."

He aimed another punch at her again. But Kagome didn't survive a whole year in the Sengoku Jidai just so she can be pushed around by some modern punk. She dodged the punch with some difficulty and then turned to run.

"Shit!" Toji cursed. He wasted no time to signal his guys to chase after their escaping victim. 'I didn't expect her to dodge it. She can't be a martial artist too!' 

Kagome held her briefcase close to her wet body. Her two heavy feet pounded the cement ground. Water plashed up all around her and her naked legs shivered in the cold environment.

'Inuyasha, tasukete! Inuyasha!!!' 

She didn't seem to realize that she was only screaming inside her own head. Kagome ran blindly. It was all she could do for now.

Kagome ran for a whole five minutes before she found herself stranded in an alley. She was probably very far away from her shrine. 'Oh great.' Kagome finally noticed that she was near the city garbage collection area and her briefcase was gone. She probably lost it when she tripped a few moments ago. 'How the hell did I get here? Just where was I running toward?! Oh, please don't let them find me... please...'

-_-

"Kagome!!! Kagome!!!" Inuyasha yelled frantically. Five minutes earlier he had came back to the school and expected to find Kagome still in rehearsal. But instead, there wasn't a soul left around the school. So he ran back to the shrine and thought Kagome made it back by herself. And now he's at the school once again, with no traces of Kagome whatsoever.

Inuyasha sniffed around for Kagome's scent but the rain had washed it away. Frustrated, he kicked a nearby tree's trunk. He glared at the watch Kagome gave him a few weeks ago. '9:46, dammit, where is that girl?!' 

He had a hunch that the Mikagi siblings had something to do with it. But he was too afraid to follow that hunch. 'I need to get to somewhere high up!' 

Inuyasha promptly leaped up a building. With his hanyou powers in full blast, he jumped from rooftop to rooftop and screamed Kagome's name over and over. But the thunder drowned out his yells, the rain blurred his vision. And his long hair stuck to neck, his face. 

This was bad. 

Finally Inuyasha decided to take a short breather and figure out a game plan. The only reassuring thing was that Sango, Miroku, and Kouga were all out helping him search for Kagome. With Kouga's speedy legs, they should at least find some trace. And just before they split up, Kouga handed Inuyasha a black little cell phone. "In case I find her first", he had said.

Inuyasha was drowning in his depression when he heard two familiar voices.

"No, Keiko-san's grocery has the cheaper melons. Go there!"

"Dame yo, that's so far away. My mother just want some fruit, any fruit will be fine!"

"I hate staying over at your place. Why does Aunt Tae have to get pregnant again? I have enough cousins."

"Hey, Ayumi, stop hogging the umbrella."

"Is it my fault that your house only has one umbrella? You're such a baby, Kappei."

"Ayumi, you should let the school see this side of you, I bet they'll love it."

"Oh, shut up!"

Inuyasha wasted no more time to leap down from the rooftop. He landed with a soft thud in front of the two bickering cousins. They didn't seem to notice him at all. 

"Oi! Yamaguchi!!" Inuyaha practically howled.

The two cousins stopped in mid sentence and turned to stare at the wet hanyou in surprise. Thankfully, Inuyasha still had his disguise on.

"Taisho-kun, is that you? What are you doing out so..." 

Inuyasha completely ignored Ayumi. He grabbed Yamaguchi by the shoulders and began to shake him. "Kagome's gone, I can't find her. I think Mikagi took her!"

Yamaguchi's brows furrowed. "Inuyasha-kun, come with me, I just saw Mikagi Akiko's limo two blocks ago. I'll help you."

Inuyasha was a little hesitant. A human like Yamaguchi can't run as fast and might come as a burden. Yamaguchi seemed to have sensed that as well. 

"Don't worry, Inuyasha-kun, I'm pretty fast, I can keep up." With that, he shoved the umbrella into Ayumi's hands. "Go whatever store you want to go. Oh, and when you buy those melons, try stuffing some into your bra. See ya!"

Yamaguchi grabbed Inuyasha and ran before Ayumi can chase them down with her metal umbrella. 

^_^

Yamaguchi grabbed Inuyasha's shirt before the hanyou can run out. They found the white limo and Inuyasha smelled Sonoko's strong perfume even in the rain. 

"Let me go, Yamaguchi, Kagome could be in there!" Inuyasha couldn't understand why his new friend was holding him back.

Yamaguchi shook his head sternly. "Inuyasha-kun, listen."

Inuyasha perked up his dog ears. 

"Found her yet?" Toji's arrogant voice came from inside the limo.

Marusato stood outside, soaked in the rain. "No, we lost her when she turned left near Kouen Park."

"Yamaguchi, where's this Kouen Park?" Inuyasha grabbed the boy's collar.

"It's about six blocks down to our right."

Inuyasha didn't give the poor guy any time to breathe as he dragged him down the street toward Kouen Park. They left Marusato to Toji's scolding. 

^_^

"Where do we go now, Inuyasha-kun?" Yamaguchi wiped his wet forehead with a wet sleeve. It didn't help at all. 

Inuyasha put a hand to silence him. To Yamaguchi's astounded surprise, Inuyasha went on all fours and began to sniff around the sidewalk, much like a real dog.

"Eh, Inuyasha-kun, what are you doing?"

Inuyasha didn't reply. Instead he continued to sniff. 

"I smell something foul."

Yamaguchi gave him a puzzled look. "Umm... It could be the garbage collection area near here. That place does smell pretty bad. But what about Higu..."

"Oi, do you think Kagome could be there?" 

"The garbage place? I guess it's a possibility." Yamaguchi saw the worried look on Inuyasha's face. "You really like her, don't you?"

Inuyasha scowled at him. "Shut up, I love her. Which way to the garbage area?"

Yamaguchi smiled and pointed down the street. "A few more blocks down and then turn right." 

"Let's go then."

^_^

Kagome shivered. The rain was still strong. And the wind was permeating through her wet uniform. She hated this. No only did she trip and fall, she also lost her briefcase. By now all her notes are probably wet.

"Higurashi Kagome, there are that bitch's notes. Call Toji, tell him we're close."

Kagome hugged herself closer. That was one of Toji's henchmen. This wasn't good. The alley provided no protection. She was out in plain sight. If the guy just happens to look into the alley, he would find her for sure. She needed to get out of there, now!

Kagome took off her shoes so she wouldn't make any sounds. Then she tiptoed toward the opening of the alleyway and peeked outside. The guy was merely a few yards away. But thankfully he was looking in the other direction. 

Kagome glanced at the alley across from her. There were some large garbage cans that could provide some protection. All she had to do was run a couple feet across and maintain as quietly as possible. No big deal, right? Right.

'One, two, three... now!' Kagome didn't even have to chance to run, for a voice reached her ears, along with a loud thunder clap.

"There you are, pretty." 

Kagome gasped. 'He found me!' 

The guy waved his hand to someone behind him. "Hey, Ukiya, look who I found."

The one he called Ukiya stepped toward her slowly. "Ya know, Taichi, Toji wouldn't be here for at least another ten minutes. I'd say we have some fun with her first. I really don't think he'll mind."

"I agree." Taichi nodded. He then grabbed Kagome's wrist roughly. "She doesn't look that bad for a first year. Wanna have some fun with the big boys?"

"Get you hands off of me!!!" Kagome slapped him with her free hand. 

Taichi didn't seem to mind the slap. In fact, Kagome thought he liked it. He licked his lips in a disgusting manner and leaned forward even more. "Let me hear you scream."

Well, if it's a scream they want...

**"INUYASHAAAAAA, TASUKETE!!!"**

"Inuyasha? That white haired freak can't help you today, bitch. Do what we tell you to do and you won't get hurt."

A flash of white and black came down from the sky and landed softly behind Kagome's squirming body. Water splashed beneath the figure's feet. "Funny," Inuyasha's protective aura reached Kagome and warmed her, "I was about to say the same thing."

Ukiyo and Taichi knew instantly that Armageddon was near.

Taichi let go of Kagome's wrist and the girl's body fell back. Inuyasha caught her in his arms. But he didn't look at her. Right now, he needed his anger to help him fight his best. If he looked at Kagome, her eyes just might soften his heart. He couldn't have that. He wanted to hurt them. He _needed_ to hurt them. 

"Yamaguchi..." It was then that everyone noticed that Yamaguchi was standing behind Kagome's two attackers. The boy panted. "Watch Kagome."

Kagome walked around the two guys and Yamaguchi shielded her behind his own body protectively. She breathed. Inuyasha was there. He was her personal bodyguard; he was her knight in shiny armor. And she was finally safe.

^_^

* "pasokon" and "konpuutaa" are romaji for Japanese katakana words. These two words basically mean computer. 

** Yokozuna is the highest rank in Sumo. The rank goes from yokozuna to oozeki to sekiwake to komusubi to maegashira. Have no clue what I'm talking about? Don't worry. 

Just a few more chapters to go!! Let's see if my review number can reach 1000 by the time I finish Bodyguards (with your help, of course).


	16. Never Been Vulnerable

**I did reviewer's response this time!! It's actually rather long. So try to find your name here, or otherwise scroll down to start the chapter. **

**Wakadori**** Ramen** – Don't worry, chill, I'll give an extension if I finish too early. I understand how hard it is to write. Oh, and have I mentioned lately that you're my favorite reviewer? LOL. Can't wait to hear from you.

**Trevor** – I was sputtering after reading your review. "make some more". LOL. You made it seem like I was cooking. Yup, add a little bit nouns, some spicy adjectives, along with a few sizzling verbs, and to top it off with a couple of adverbs for color... bam! Here's chapter 16 of Bodyguards.

**Esther** – My godsister has your name, or maybe you have her name... I dunno, I'm so sleepy. Fluff scene? Of course! A good fight scene has to be followed by a good fluff scene. Well, it's actually really short. But I'll make it up to you guys next time.

**Crow T R0bot** – Do you purposely spell your name that way? Anyway, I was laughing on the floor after I read your review. (The P.S. part). I mean, speaking from a native Chinese's point of view, I must agree with you. The whole Nanking thing was really messed up. But my Japanese teacher said that next year we'll be talking about it in class. It's gonna be awkward. Anyway, I almost forgot about that art teacher, thanks for reminding me. I might have to have her abuse Miroku and Inu-chan again, so be prepared. Heehee.

**LadyJinxr** - *head spinning from your questions* Haha, I really don't know how to answer them except to tell you to wait and see. I have no idea myself. I'm the writer, and yet at the same time I'm also the reader. I have to admit that I have absolutely nothing planned, maybe except how badly I can fail my physics final. So, you asked the same questions I have to ask myself. Keep reading and keep reviewing!!!

**Kibethan** – Yes, I really am in the 11th grade, can't you tell from my insane babbles about physics and college? And don't think I'm this wonderful writer or anything, because I admit that I suck. Heh. I really can't write at all. If you read other great fics, like the ones by Rosefire1, you'll never want to read my fics again. 

**?????????????????????** – I just had to reply to your review. Just so I can be sure that I got the correct number of question marks. I counted 21!

**Miko**** Sakura-sama** – Thanks a bunch for understanding. I'm actually becoming bald (major hair loss) from stress in school. AHH!!! I'm going to be a 16-year-old bald lady!!! NOOOO!!!

**Hekele**** Masuyo** – I love your comments. But then again, I must be humble and say that I am certainly not the only authors who can write long chapters. Nor is Bodyguards the "best Inuyasha fic". And sorry I can't read our fic. I just don't have time. I haven't had time to breathe lately. Have 7 finals in total... *sigh* anyway, keep reading, don't stop reviewing, and I'll just keep babbling. BABBLE!!!

**LuckyInu17** – lol. Why does everyone call me "child", even the people who don't even know me? I'm almost 17. I'm actually 18 in Chinese years because the Lunar New Year just passed. Ha! I'm no child... *sniff* *sucks on pacifier* Yes, disturbing image, isn't it?

**Kitsune**** fire** – HAH!!! *cough* I'm sorry, I just had to do that. Um, I think when Rumiko Tahakashi said "new moon", she was going by the lunar calendar. And in the lunar calendar, the new moon decides the first day of each month. If you have a Chinese calendar, you can see that September 26th of 2003 in the solar calendar was not only a new moon, it was also the first of September in the lunar calendar. The entire lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon. So trust me when I say that the new moon always lands on the first day of every month, just not the way Westerners see it. 

**Mara** – You and your funny ideas. LOL. Anyways, Tasukete means "help". 

**Dork in Training** – I still find it hard to believe that people would actually like Sess and Rin's OCCness. I admit I was not in the right state of mind when I wrote those chapters. I think the stress of AP Chemistry and Physics killed my brain cells. But thanks for being so supportive!

**Kakashi** – Ahhh, thanks so much. I didn't realize that. I changed it, but I refuse to put Roumaji simply because my Japanese teacher uses Roomaji, with the double "o". And for reasons unknown to me, my first year textbook never stresses on the long "o" when they write in Romaji. Actually, we stopped using Romaji after the first year's book. Pure Hiragana, Katakana and my favorite: Kanji!

**DarkFencer** – I know!!! I know!!! I know!!! *sigh* I know...

**GirlLoki** – Yes, that is in fact how you spell perfection.

**SilverWaters** – Wow, you know how to use a kanji dictionary!! *applaud* taking Japanese? Native?? I love kanji dictionaries, they're so thick... Yes, I'm odd in case you haven't noticed.

**MK** – This trails from what I wrote to Kakashi. As a very serious student who is taking Japanese, I simply refuse to write out Japanese as the way English people say it. I'm actually quite proud of my ability to pronounce Japanese correctly. So there is no way that I'll write "domo". And about the long "o". Even though when it's written in hiragana, it's "doumo" (or "o" followed by a dash), they don't actually pronounce it as "do" "u" and then "mo". It's just "doomo", with the "o" stretched out. And I find it interesting how they almost omit the particle "o" during conversations. Like how "benkyoo o shimasu" actually sound like "benkyoo shimasu". And so I'll just write thank you as "doomo arigatoo gozaimasu" because that's simply how they pronounce it. And I think it's better for English readers to get a sense of what Japanese sounds like, especially when they're interested in learning it. I mean, I wouldn't want people to go to Japan and say "do-u-mo". 

**CowNapkin** – Waddup! Worrrrrrd!!! *shakes head*.

**Kaye** – Hehe, thanks. I wouldn't say that grammar and typos aren't important, because they really are. I care about them too (especially when it comes to anything that concerns school). But I'm not getting paid to write fanfiction. And my grades are slipping as it is. So... F**k it. *glares at Kaye's sister too though I don't know why* 

**Orion Kohaishu** - *eyes sparkle too* Everyone enjoys a good fluff scene. Hehe, thought it's not really fluff. My friend actually cracked up after reading that part.

**Ryuuyasha**- A bullet, oh mighty dragon-sama, I wouldn't want my Inu-chan to suffer!! Kagome can take an arrow any time for Inu-chan for all I care (referring to second movie). I mean, I love Kagome and all, but I love Inu-chan even more!

**Randomunit02** – Take that back!!!! I know you don't hate me. I mean, just look at my cute face! #_#

**Ilia** – Aww, thanks so much for your words of... I guess the correct word here would be agreement. I actually didn't think of that! Oh, and careful not to wake the parents, they can get pretty nasty.

**D3 **- *sigh* I don't wanna ruin it for ya, but it's also kinda obvious. He's going to observe Mikagi Toji because he feels the need to help Inuyasha protect Kagome so that Inuyasha and his friends can go back and fix history.

**Sachi****- Kohana** – Wohoo!!! I actually have no response for those wonderful words of praise except... I really suck at writing in case you haven't noticed. I swear to kami-sama, I can't write!! I just... I dunno... get drunk?

**Kin103** – you mentioned math regents, are you a New Yorker too? 'Cause only New York has regents. Just wondering...

**StarsInTheSkies** – LoL, Mandarin people rule!!! Am I leaving a "mark"? You made me sound like a dog that pees on a fire hydrant to... okay, let's not go there. Hehe.

**Fireblade**** K'Chona **– Nope, it's definitely Tessaiga, I used the direct Romaji off the Hiragana. Tetsuagai or whatever you use is from the English version, probably CN, but it's no doubt Tessaiga, I bet my life on it.

**Anantsu** – Umm.. thanx… lol, I think.

^_^ God bless PCP. (Not really. Drugs are bad!!! Don't take drugs!!! Say no to drugs!!! If you take drugs then I'm warning you that I might have to yell at you if I find out).

**Chapter 16: Never Been Vulnerable**

Marusato's body was soaked in the rain. But he also feared Mikagi Toji's wrath and didn't dare ask to be accepted into the warm and dry limousine. Behind him, the limo followed cautiously. He heard that girl's scream just seconds ago. They were close. Surely, some of their men must be torturing that girl at the moment. He took the lead and ran in the rain while Toji's limo driver followed obediently. 

Marusato pondered as he ran ahead. Why would so many grownups fear an eighteen-year-old? Mikagi Jouji was the Tokyo school chancellor, he had power, and everyone understood that. The two children's mother passed away more than ten years ago. And their father had always been busy with work. But that wasn't an excuse. To Marusato's knowledge, Toji received no punishment whatsoever for almost killing that guy back in his private school. And surely his father knew about his tyrannous reign. What kind of father would spoil his children to such extend?

Marusato enjoyed the respect he received in school. Actually, fear was more like it. He was Mikagi Toji's right hand man, a member of the "elite circle". Little did those students know that Toji treated him like absolute crap when other people weren't around. 

Marusato stopped running. They approached a narrow path and the limo wasn't able to get through. Furthermore, he had led the limo to a garbage dump. Was the Higurashi girl so stupid that she ran into such a foul place for security?

The limo door clicked and opened. Mikagi Toji stepped out with an umbrella in hand. He growled at the driver and told him to drive back. Akiko and Sonoko were still inside.

The teen approached his henchman and squinted to see into the dark alleyway. "Is she in there?" He asked, not happy at all to have to be in contact with a garbage dump. The smell just might taint his beautiful uniform.

"I think so," Marusato answered promptly. Though Toji was right next to him, the teen didn't share the umbrella, so Marusato was still left in the rain. "I heard her scream just earlier, maybe..."

Toji ignored the rest of Marusato's "report" and took a step forward. His trained ears have already detected the faint sound of flesh against flesh through the heavy rain and thunder. Just a few more feet, and he would be able to see his henchmen beat the crap out of that Higurashi girl, the girl that had been a thorn in his sister's side ever since Akiko first laid eyes on her.

It was a satisfying thought.

Toji took confident steps and Marusato followed behind like a giant mole rat. The sound of a groan reach Toji's ears and he smiled. He was surprised that the Higurashi girl wasn't screaming aloud at her torture. 

Toji made a right turn and suddenly stopped. Five feet in front of him, the Higurashi girl hid behind an angry Yamaguchi Kappei, they stood at the opening of another alleyway and kept their eyes on something that was still hidden from Toji, but it didn't take Higurashi long to perceive Toji's presence.

Yamaguchi sensed the girl behind him suddenly stiffened. Soon her nails dug into his thin spring uniform. "Higurashi-san, what's..." Yamaguchi's own body tensed as well when he noticed Toji and Marusato. Mikagi Toji was a little shocked for some reason. Yamaguchi shifted his body and arm protectively. Inuyasha entrusted Kagome to him, and he wasn't going to let the guy down.

But before Toji regained enough composure to launch any kind of attack, a body flew out of the small alleyway that Yamaguchi was guarding. It was Taichi. 

Taichi's head made contact with a wall. Blood oozed out of the back of his head and he let out a small groan just before he passed out completely. Kagome gave a small squeak and took two steps back. 

Realization dawned on Toji'. Yamaguchi and someone found Kagome somehow and protected her from harm. Taichi was knocked out, and judging from the number of bruises on the guy's face, the fight had been on for a few minutes now. Taichi just received his black belt, he was the captain of the school karate team. In order to injure the guy so badly, his opponent must have had considerate skill. One name popped into Mikagi Toji's mind:

Inuyasha...

Toji passed his umbrella to Marusato and advanced toward Taichi's fallen body. But he sensed a swift moment from the corner of his eye and jumped back immediately. In front of him, Ukiyo, another one of his men was thrown against the wall as well. Ukiyo's body fell on top of Taichi's, both went out like candles in the wind. 

"Bastard..."

Toji's self-alarm mechanism switched into full alert as a menacing growl echoed in the howling wind. He didn't need to turn his head to know that a punch was about to make contact with his precious head. Toji quickly bent his body a quarter forward and dodged the attack. A hint of silver was all he saw before someone's knee made contact with his stomach. The sudden hit sent Toji flying backward. Marusato quickly abandoned the umbrella in his hand to catch his boss.

Toji's behind fell hard on the cement ground. The rain didn't let up and everyone in sight was drenched. There was an eerie silence for a minute when Toji was slowly taking in the fact that Inuyasha had just kneed him in the stomach. Even the gods seemed to have noticed the tension and didn't dare sound their thunderclaps. 

But Marusato was probably the most nervous of them all. 

The silence was disturbed as Toji finally regained self-control and began to laugh. Toji's sudden laughter rang clearly as a wolf's howl on a full moon. It was a dry laugh, one which sent creeps down Marusato's spine.

Toji was never a happy man. He always smiled but Marusato and their friends knew that he was never truly happy. The guys hung out and poked fun at everyone around them and they shared a couple of good laughs. But their leader always stood close with a calm smile plastered on his face. The only times that Toji truly smiled was when he was around his little sister. Other times, a laughing Mikagi Toji meant someone was about to get hurt...

Inuyasha and everyone around him had no time to react as Toji suddenly stopped his demented laughter and launched forward to the hanyou with a rolled up fist. Good thing Inuyasha didn't let his guards down and jumped out of the way. 

Yamaguchi was incredibly tense. Mikagi Toji was the best fighter he ever knew. He didn't want to imagine his new friend getting hurt. But from what he saw earlier, Inuyasha made a formidable opponent. For now, it was his duty to protect Kagome so Inuyasha could fight with ease... 

...Though the look on Inuyasha's face was anything _but_ ease.

Kagome, on the other hand, was more worried about Toji's safety. After all, Inuyasha had a reputation for sending humans out of commission back in the Sengoku Jidai. She might have wanted to see Inuyasha hurt Toji a little, but she knew that if she doesn't stop Inuyasha in time, he might just go all out and kill the guy.

"Assistance in homicide" was the last thing she wanted on her permanent record.

Inuyasha didn't notice Kagome's worried look. He had vented some of his anger on Tachi and the other body on the ground, but Toji was a different story. Even though Inuyasha often tried to refrain himself from killing any humans, taking out this guy would definitely make his day.

And so with that thought, Inuyasha returned Toji's attack with twice the energy and speed. 

Once again Toji barely had time to react. He threw his right arm for a block and felt Inuyasha's fist make contact with his elbow. The pain crawled up his arm and numbed his entire right side. 

'Is this guy human?'

Toji didn't waste any more time on thoughts. Inuyasha was already throwing out his other fist, and Toji knew that if he wanted to keep his arm, he would've had to dodge instead of block. 

Running away was never a part of Mikagi Toji's life philosophy, but it seemed like a smart thing to do at the moment. Inuyasha's movements were eccentric, and his punches came at an incredible speed. Toji had been studying martial arts for years, and he had yet to see something so extraordinary. If they weren't having a brawl, Toji would've considered a serious conversation with Inuyasha about martial arts.

Toji had no chance to duck this time as Inuyasha gave two consecutive blows, one at his head, and the other at his chest. Toji shifted his body to the right just in time to avoid that deadly blow to his head, but Inuyasha's punch successfully landed on his chest, too close to his heart for comfort. 

Toji's body fell backwards and he even surprised himself that he still stood. He clamped a hand to where Inuyasha's punch landed and felt a sickening ooze climb up his esophagus. 

The disgusting feeling made Toji's stomach churn. He covered his mouth with his other hand and gave a hacking cough. As he removed his hand, Toji noticed a big blot of blood in the center of his palm. But his attention was quickly drawn away by the sharp pain that emanated from his chest. He took a second to wonder how many of his rib bones Inuyasha managed to break in one punch. 

It was then Toji realize that he was actually losing a fight.

^_~

Mikagi Akiko twirled a strand of her long hair absent-mindedly. Next to her, Sonoko was chatting away about something again but she had tuned out long ago. Her brother was gone too long, it wasn't like him to delay something so simple. 

Akiko's pondering was interrupted by a gentle knock at her car door. She scrolled down the opaque window and expected to find her brother there.

"Oh, it's just you." Akiko recognized the muscular boy as one of her brother's underlings. His name was Dai-something. "Where's my brother?" 

"Hey, Daisuke-kun!" Sonoko noticed the boy's arrival and gave a rather loud greeting. Akiko also noticed that Sonoko's skirt just went up a few inches on her lap.

Daisuke grinned crookedly and nodded at Sonoko. Akiko was ready to throw up at their flirting antics.

"Suck face later, you two. Where's my brother? Aren't they done yet?"

"Sorry, Akiko-san, we couldn't find them."

"Idiot!" Akiko spat out. She then grabbed an umbrella from under her feet and exited the limo. "I'll find them. Useless..."

"But Akiko-san, it's raining..."

"I know!!! But I can't leave it up to you idiots, now can I?" Akiko stomped away angrily muttering "Worthless idiots" every so often. 'I heard Marusato mentioned something about a garbage dump. Great, now all I have to do is follow the smell.'

^_~

Inuyasha couldn't remember doing anything as satisfying as beating up Mikagi Toji. The smell of Toji's blood reached his nostrils and Inuyasha was tempted to make him bleed even more. So he barely felt anything when Kagome grabbed him uniform sleeve and begged him to stop. 

"That's enough, Inuyasha. You're going to kill him!" Kagome's plead was lost in the heavy rain. Inuyasha's blood still boiled. He couldn't stop just yet, after all, Toji was still standing. 

Inuyasha snatched Kagome's hands off his jacket and pushed the girl back into Yamaguchi's arms. "Don't watch this, Kagome" was all he said before he shot forward once more.

"**NO!!**" 

Inuyasha's almost deadly attack was stopped midway by a body slam from Toji's ever faithful second-in-command. Marusato threw his entire body against Inuyasha. To the experienced hanyou, Marusato's attack came way too slow for him to bother. So instead of dodging it, Inuyasha simply changed arms and directed the punch to Marusato's neck. The oaf landed on the ground so suddenly that he didn't even have a chance to grunt.

Inuyasha smirked as Marusato's eyes closed. The guy was still alive, Inuyasha didn't deliver a hard blow, but he wouldn't be surprised if the guy slept for a few days straight. 

"Your guy is stupid." Inuyasha said half-amusingly.

Toji glanced at Marusato's body with a hand over his chest and gnarled disgustingly. "I agree. This fight isn't over yet, Inuyasha."

"I know."

Inuyasha knew Toji didn't have any stamina left to withstand another direct blow, and he didn't really want to kill him. But if Toji insisted on fighting, he wasn't going to back down either. But so far, his attacks only made contact with Toji's body twice, and Inuyasha wasn't even panting. 

Toji, on the other hand, couldn't even breathe because of his broken ribs. He knew too that he couldn't stand it any longer and if he attempted to move his upper body, the pain alone can make him unconscious. 

"Son of a..." Toji dashed forward with an impressive speed and stopped just in time to send a high kick to Inuyasha's head. Inuyasha didn't even blink as he jumped high into the air and spun around in a full circle. With the momentum he gathered from his jump, Inuyasha delivered his final kick in midair, straight at Toji's head.

Toji stumbled backwards for a few steps and finally fell. He thought his neck was going to break from Inuyasha's kick. His eyes flashed for a second just before darkness devoured him. 

Rain splattered down on his already soaked body. Each drop was like a small bullet that penetrated deep into his skin. He wanted to get up, he wanted to move so badly. But something held him down, or someone, he couldn't really tell. 

There was a voice, a female's voice. Was it the Higurashi girl? "Stop it, Inuyasha." She was probably begging her boyfriend to spare his life. She always played the good girl. Everyone in school thought Higurashi Kagome was the kindest and prettiest girl. But Toji knew better. No one could come close to his little sister.

Another rain drop landed on his forehead, but it was warm. No, it wasn't rain, and the voice didn't belong to Higurashi.

Toji opened his eyes frantically and saw the blurry figure of Akiko floating just above his head. 'She's crying...' Inuyasha must've punched him again because his heart was throbbing. 

Inuyasha was yelling something, probably calling him a bastard for ambushing his precious little girlfriend. Toji felt Akiko's arm around his neck. And soon, everything around him became quiet. He heard the sound of footsteps fade away into the rainy night. His conscious slipped away once more and the last thing he heard was the sound of Akiko's cell phone. 

All the while, her tears continued to dampen his face.

-_-

Kagome finally stopped shivering. The rain continued and the wind still blew, but she was well protected in Inuyasha's jacket. The hanyou kept a tight grasp of her thighs as he zoomed through the rooftops with her body stuck to his. They said good bye to Yamaguchi a while back, and now they were going to head back to Kagome's house. 

"Thank you, Inuyasha..."

"I won't let him hurt you again."

"No," Kagome sighed, "I mean, thanks for not killing Toji."

Inuyasha would've shrugged if he was in a more comfortable position. "His sister practically begged for me to let them go. What else could I have done?"

"You were going to stop though, after that punch to his chest. If Toji didn't charge at you, you would've never kicked him in the head. And you could've hurt him so much worse..."

"... I guess..."

The Higurashi shrine was coming into view. Kagome sighed one last time and dug her head into the crook of Inuyasha's neck.

"I love you, Inuyasha."

The hanyou didn't say anything. But as always, silence is golden...

^_^

Toji groaned and slumped against his sister's body. The two siblings looked at each other expectedly. Their limo driver had helped Toji into the limo and drove them back home. He even half carried Toji up the steps of the front door. But as a servant, that was as far as he was willing to go. So now the two siblings stood alone in front of the door, both too afraid to ring the bell.

Finally, Akiko decided to knock instead of ring. She tapped on the oak door gently. The door opened only a second later and their butler's solemn face appeared before him.

"Welcome home, young master, young miss, the master is waiting for you in the TV room." The old man took a step back and allowed them to enter. 

Toji shifted his feet forward. Akiko stood half a step behind him in case he got into a dizzy spell. It wasn't like their father to stay up and wait for them. Something was wrong. The siblings made their way through the long hall and finally made a right turn into the extravagant TV room. 

Mikagi Jouji was a man in his mid 40's. He was rather tall and buff for a Japanese man, and his thick beard gave him the image of a medieval European king. He was a stern man to his staff, and expected the same amount of dedication to his job from his seniors. Overall, he was a respected man in his social circle, and a feared one every where else. 

"Where have you been?" His voice was even gruffer than his appearance. 

Toji frowned. His father had never cared for his whereabouts before, why start now? "Out." He said nonchalantly and as calmly as possible. But besides him, he felt Akiko shiver.

"Why didn't you pick up your cell phone?"

Toji had nearly forgotten about his phone. How can he still focus on some material object when his ribs were broken? "Bad connection, it's raining pretty hard out..."

"Don't give me that!!" Jouji's temper just increased to another level. "Do you know who was here tonight?! **_Musashi_****_ Shinichi_**, the richest man in the world!! And guess what, he sent his card this afternoon and requested a **family** dinner. I promised the man that my **two children **would be here. And you've let me down again!!"

Toji flinched at his father's volume level. "Sorry, father, I was..."

"Did you get into another fight?! Oh, hell, and you're bleeding... stand up straight!! Why can't you stand up straight?!! Be a man, you weakling, don't crouch!"

"**BECAUSE I BROKE MY FRIGGIN' RIBS, OKAY!?!?!**" 

Jouji stared into his son's eyes with surprise and disgust. "You broke your ribs... 15 years in karate school and you still managed to break your ribs in a stupid school fight! You know what, Toji, I was right, you're worthless! **GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!!**" Jouji grabbed a vase from a nearby stand and chucked it toward Toji and Akiko's direction, the vase missed the two by a foot and smashed into pieces onto the floor.

"Father, it's not his fault! The guy was..." Akiko actually dared to take a step forward to defend her brother. But she soon realized her mistake and froze on the spot. 

Mikagi Jouji's words came calmly and softly at the beginning, but every word concealed its hidden daggers. "What did you call me? You piece of trash, who gave you permission to call me 'father'? Need I remind you the rules of this house, you stupid girl? **HOW MANY TIMES MUST I REPEAT MYSELF!!**" 

Jouji launched forward and grabbed a handful of Akiko's hair. The girl screamed out in pain and her hands flew up instinctively to protect her scalp. 

"Father, don't hurt her!" Toji would've intervened, but his injured ribs prevented any swift movements. Jouji's other free hand swung freely in the air and connected with Toji's right cheek. The already staggering teen finally lost his balance and fell sideways onto the couch. 

All the while, Jouji had his firm grasp on Akiko's hair and was dragging her away from the TV room. "Go to your room, you stupid, worthless piece of shit! Go to your room and think over how grateful you should be to me! Once you're 18, you're out of here. Damn that bitch for bringing you in. I fed you and clothed you for 16 years, and you and that worthless crap over there can't even show up for a simple business dinner of mine. Why do I still need you, huh? Tell me, huh?!"

Akiko finally stopped her attempt to save her hair. Instead she reached out both of her arms in the direction of the TV room. In between her sorrowful sobs, she called for the only person that still cared for her...

Toji struggled to get a hold on the sofa arms. He pushed against the couch and attempted to get up. His sister needed him, he couldn't let her down. 

But he felt useless at that moment. The pain from his ribs and head spread throughout his entire body. Darkness took over again and Mikagi Toji was lost to the world.

**********

Wow, that took me a while. I actually wanted to make it longer, but heck, 8 pages is good enough for now. And this chapter was actually really complicated and just impossible to put into words.

Anyways, looking forward to your reviews as usual.

REVIEW!!!!!!!!


	17. The Future is Tomorrow

Hi, everyone, I'm back after a whole month of MIA. I have to say that I was very excited as I read your reviews for chapter 16, just about all of you changed your minds about Toji and Akiko after that chapter. That makes me, as a writer, very happy. 

This chapter is filled with fluff. I have to warn you though, it's a little too lovey-dovey. I have no personal experience in the matter of the heart, so it was rather awkward for me to write. I did my best, and I can only hope that it turned out decent enough.

**Disclaimer**: Inuyasha wa suigoishi, kakkoiishi, kawaiishi, yasashiishi noni, watashino janai.  

**^_~**

**Chapter 17:**** The Future is Tomorrow**

How annoying... that incessant drumming... who's drumming at night... he needed sleep... who would be drumming at such an hour...

It was driving him crazy...

So loud...

"**AH**!!!" 

Mikagi Toji let out a barely audible cry of pain as his mind snapped back to reality. He had become numb to the pain when he fainted, but now that he was awake... god... it hurt so much...

Damn that Inuyasha...

He tried to keep his eyes closed, and prayed to fall back into the darkness once more. Actually, a three-month coma sounded pretty good at the moment. Maybe he'll wake up months later and his wounds would all be healed miraculously. Then he wouldn't have to go through the tremendous pain...

The pain... was everywhere...

But Mikagi Toji was no coward, he wasn't one to fear pain and suffering. He had known about suffering all too well to know that ignoring it won't drive it away. Besides, it wasn't as if he was safe, his home was perhaps the most dangerous place he can be at. And of course...

'Akiko...' 

Toji didn't need any more incentive for him to move his bruised behind. Through a miracle display of endurance, he somehow managed to sit up on the couch even before he fully opened his eyes. Perhaps he didn't want to see his current state, it was just too shameful.

But nevertheless, he looked anyway.

His body was an absolutely mess. By the endless signals that his sensory neurons were sending to his brain, Toji was well aware that he had at least a few rib bones broken, and his arm wasn't in the best condition either. His head ached like never before, and the incessant beating of the rain against the windows wasn't helping his headache. As soon as he sat up, he was ready to slump down again. 

And to think, Inuyasha only hit him a total of four times, counting the knee to his stomach. 

Toji didn't pay much attention to the bandage around his chest, or the fact that he was in a completely different set of cloths. It was their butler; he didn't need to doubt that. It wasn't the first time that Toji came back home with injuries, though nothing this extreme had happened before. Toji was a martial artist, after all, injuries sustained during competitions were unavoidable. Their butler and a certain maid were well trained in changing, cleaning, and bandaging him without disturbing his rest in any way. Of course, Mikagi Jouji never authorized such treatments, his own son could die for all he cared, as long as his family name remained honorable and respected.

Toji didn't care for his father's opinions either. He turned eighteen two months ago and would've moved out if Akiko wasn't still under that tyrant's control. 

Toji stole a glance at the old grandfather clock next to the locked wine cabinet, the one his mother bought almost fifteen years ago. 'Four... everyone would be asleep...' Toji realized that he was still in the TV room, of course, his butler would never bother to carry an eighteen-year-old all the way upstairs.

As quietly as possible, Toji shifted one foot in front of the other and made his way toward the staircase. It took him a good two minutes to reach it when normally it was a trip of five seconds. All the while, it took him nearly his entire will power not to scream out in pain. But he made no sound, for he knew that a sobbing Akiko was still waiting for him to arrive.

The climb to the second floor was like a trip to hell itself. He had stopped keeping track of time when he was half way up. In order to tolerate the agony, Toji had to fill his mind with other things, like Akiko's smile, her laugh, her kisses...

Finally he reached the top of the stairs. The next stage was to make it to the other end of the rather long hallway. His father's bedroom was all the way on the other side of the mansion, so he didn't need to worry about waking up the old man, but the servants all slept on this floor, and it wouldn't help him to wake any one of those snoopy women. 

Toji continued on, dragging his battered self with him. Step by step, one foot in front of another...

'Akiko...'

Toji stopped as he reached the end. Even though he tried to control himself, he was already sweating and panting. But with every breath he took, his ribs would cry out in protest. It was possibly the worst feeling he ever had to suffer...

No, wait... the worst pain he ever had to suffer was to watch Akiko's spirit crumble under his father's slaps and punches.

Toji didn't let his thoughts wonder down that direction, it was too risky. Slowly and softly, he turned around, leaned back into the plainly painted door, and slid down until he was able to sit comfortably. Alas, he sighed.

As soon as he was relaxed a bit, he brought up a bruised knuckle and drummed it above his head on the wooden door six times, so soft that nobody else could possibly hear; nobody but him and the other suffering soul inside.

_Scratch, scratch, scratch..._

Toji smiled to himself. He was right. His Akiko was strong enough to stay awake and wait for him to come. 

"He locked the door from the outside again..." 

Akiko's voice came through the thin door frame in a whisper. Toji had to strain to hear her. Her voice was different from the tone she used in school. Her mask was down and the shield around her heart had melted. This was the real Akiko, the one that he fell in love with and will do anything in his power to defend against that monster he was forced to call father. 

"Everything will be fine..." He spoke for the first time in hours, only to realize how coarse his throat had become. The residue of the blood he coughed up earlier still remained in his throat. It was certainly a very unpleasant feeling.

For a long time, Akiko made no reply. She wasn't crying either, for Toji couldn't hear any sobs from the other side of the wooden frame. He wished he could cry for her... but he can't, not since he promised to be strong for her.

"I wish she left me there." Finally, Akiko's bitter whisper reached Toji's half-awake brain. "I wish she just left me there!" She whispered a second time, more determined. 

Toji chuckled to himself. "No, you don't." 

It was a phrase which Akiko would repeat every time his father mistreated her. But Toji knew in his heart that there was no way in the world Akiko could ever stand being separated from him. "You're my reason for living," she had told him that so, so many times. Surely, Akiko was willing to suffer any and every kind of pain if it meant she could stay with Toji.

He wasn't always sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Toji..."

He smiled despite the throbbing in his chest. "What is it, love?" He didn't think it would be possible, but her voice had just sunk into a lower volume. 

"Promise me... for the millionth time, promise me, that you'll take me away."

Toji closed his eyes and sighed, his smile remained on his bruised face. Inuyasha's final kick damaged more than his head. 

"For the millionth time, I promise you... I'll take you away." Toji kept the second part of his message to himself: 'Just two more years, love... wait a bit longer... onegai.'

^_~

"So... that's it then? We're done here?" 

The air was incredibly refreshing the morning after the thunderstorm. The heavy rain stopped sometime around five in the morning. Small puddles of water still remained close to the sidewalks, but the high sun promised that they won't stay there for long. Cherry blossoms were ruthlessly separated from their branches due to the bombardment of water droplets. Now, every inch of the Higurashi shrine was covered by fallen pink petals. Goshinboku also decided to bloom for the second time in five hundred years, and its magical petals danced along with the sakura. 

Kagome's family was missing from the breakfast table. Souta had to arrive at the school earlier for cleaning and Ai took him there. Granpa... god knows where he was.

Shippo complained as he sat in Kagome's lap in his demon form. He was playing a vulnerable little kitsune this morning and wouldn't even touch food if Kagome didn't feed it to him. Inuyasha had smacked him several times earlier and berated him about how Kagome was still tired and shaken from the events of the night before. But in Shippo's opinion, the best way for Kagome to get her head back was for her to spoil him senseless. That logic made no sense to the hanyou, and Shippo received bump after bump after bump.

When Kagome and Inuyasha didn't respond to his question, Shippo turned his attention to the other two adults instead. 

Miroku was in his school uniform and looked a little stiff. He was also worried about Kagome's whereabouts and searched until midnight for her. Lack of sleep was one thing, but the full impact of stress was another. Even the usually loquacious monk had no answer for the young demon this time. It wasn't his decision, after all.

Sango sensed the tension in this room, since she contributed some of it herself. Truth be told, Sango didn't want to leave. This time period was all too precious for her, for it held some of her fondest memories. She was able to live her life as a young girl, away from training and endless deaths and sufferings. But twenty-one days passed by so quickly, and none of them expect Inuyasha to end their problem so swiftly. Was it time to return to the Sengoku Jidai already?

After what it seemed to be forever, Inuyasha finally voiced his command. "I have to talk to Kagome."

The second half of his message didn't go unnoticed by his long-time companions. "Get out and don't come in if you want to remain in one piece" was what Inuyasha wanted to say. The hanyou was obviously in a horrible mood today, it would be suicide to mess with him, so even Shippo understood the situation enough to slip down from Kagome's lap quietly.

As soon as Inuyasha traced his friend's footsteps up to Souta's bedroom, he sat down across from Kagome and pasted a serious frown on his face.

"Kagome... we have to go back..."

Kagome wasn't surprised at the news, but the disappointment was all too clear on her innocent expression. 

"So soon? Can't you guys stay a while longer? I thought..."

Inuyasha didn't let her finish, and he found himself unable to look at her straight in the face anymore. So he kept his eyes on his feet. "We really can't afford to waste any time here... Naraku need to be found, and we have to complete the jewel."

"But I would still have to stay here on weekdays; the search for the shards will still have to be delayed."

Inuyasha was frustrated. He heard the desperation in Kagome's voice and felt her needs for him. But he couldn't stay, no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't stay there for so long and not go back... after all, Ki...

"No, I can't stay here, Kagome!! You don't understand, Sesshomaru told me that Kikyo died after we 'disappeared' from the past, I have to go back and..."

Inuyasha realized his mistake all too late. Kikyo... the one person that can completely destroy Kagome's spirit, the one person that can shatter Kagome's confidence in herself... he must be crazy to bring her up at such a time. 

But wasn't it the truth though? Wasn't Kikyo's "death" the main reason he wanted to go back? Naraku was still alive, so he could always fight him with Sesshomaru and the government's help. The jewels survived the five hundred years, this theory was already proven; he could always find them in this time. But Kikyo, Kikyo would only survive if he remained in the Sengoku Jidai, in the time period that he was trapped in.

Inuyasha watched Kagome's frozen expression in deep fear. The girl sat in front of him, as quiet as a rock in the forest. Her mouth slightly opened, her eyes opened widely and stared through his purple orbs in disbelief. 

But the shock soon dissipated.  She should've expected this; she _had_ expected this. Kagome's expression turned into a smiling mask. She hid herself from his inspections well. There were times when Kagome would get jealous at the undead miko, and she wasted no energy to hide her jealousy. But this time, the situation was far too serious for her to act like a ten-year-old. Half of Inuyasha's heart would always belong to Kikyo, it was the truth that she had to deal with. 

If only it wasn't so hard...

"I..." Kagome tried to speak, but did not realize how impossible it was to even make a single syllable. Was she really so weak? Did Kikyo's existence threaten her so much that it cost her to lose her voice? 

"Kago..." Inuyasha lifted a hand up and reached toward Kagome's pale cheeks, but he was afraid to touch her, as if his touch would shatter her to pieces, or worse, if she would slap him away and escape from his life forever.

Kagome sensed the hesitancy in Inuyasha's movements. He was scared, scared that she would reject his touch. How ridiculous! How can she possibly shrink away from him? He was her Inuyasha, after all. And yet, he was still so unsure of himself. He understood his undying feelings for Kikyo wounded her beyond any physical torture. But Kagome understood as well. She felt how she and Kikyo, two women of the same soul, were tearing apart the hanyou. No, she would not be the one to hurt him; she would not let him blame himself for anything. Inuyasha had gone through too much pain, too much suffering. She would not be one to contribute to that agony.

"Wakatta, Inuyasha, daijoobu.**" Kagome drew as much as courage as possible, and yet, it hurt her so much just to paste a seemingly genuine smile on her face. 

Inuyasha's sad eyes opened even wider at her acceptance. But it shocked him to another degree as Kagome reach out her arms. One of her soft and yet skilled hands made contact with his own outreaching palm, their fingers intertwined unconsciously. Her other hand extended further, slowly, as if afraid to alarm him, her fingertip touched his right cheek. The innocent touch alone was enough to send a shiver down to his toes.

"Kagome..."

"Daijoobu, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha leaned into Kagome's touch slowly, still unsure of himself. To make him loosen up, Kagome shifted her entire body closer to the hanyou. Her actions were encouraged as Inuyasha closed his eyes. 

A gasp escaped Kagome's throat as Inuyasha's soft lips began to trace the hand she laid on his cheek. From the tip of the middle finger to her wrist, Inuyasha's kissed landed like gentle feathers. It tickled at one point, but Kagome didn't dare flinch. 

Inuyasha didn't stop there. His eyes snapped open, and with his demon speed, he pulled on the hand that was intertwined with his own. He was careful not to hurt the girl, the angel before him, and pulled her easily onto his laps. 

With Inuyasha's eyes less than two inches away from hers, Kagome wasn't sure if she was still breathing. She wanted to lean forward, or for him to lean forward and claim her lips. But he didn't. Inuyasha remained as still as a stone, his constantly moving purple orbs were the only indication of his awareness. 

His eyes never stopped observing her. He traced her eyebrows, then her own brown marbles, the smooth curve of her delicate nose, the slight flush of her cheeks, her rosy lips which he had tasted only once before, and finally, the fine outline of her slender neck.

Inuyasha felt his demonic side taking over. The animalistic instinct was too much for him to control. Even with Tessaiga at his waist, he wasn't sure if he could restrain his other side from taking Kagome for himself once and for all.

All too quickly, Inuyasha's lips made contact with the flesh on Kagome's neck. Kagome tilted her head back with yet another gasp. But again, she didn't dare interrupt Inuyasha's movements... she wasn't sure if she wanted to.

Inuyasha's feather-like kisses traced Kagome's neck, and covered all spots of flesh that was not hidden by hair or uniform. Kagome relaxed enough to close her eyes and allowed him to venture on. 

Inuyasha's kisses went lower, and Kagome was sure that she couldn't allow him to go on like that any further. If Inuyasha's lips stayed there any longer, she would have more to worry about than controlling _him_. So finally the miko moved. 

Without opening her eyes, Kagome leaned down and planted a kiss on top of Inuyasha's head. The feeling of Kagome's lips on his hair was enough of an invitation. Inuyasha retraced Kagome's flesh all the way back to her chin. She tilted her head down, and it was all the consent that Inuyasha needed. 

His eyes fluttered open for only a millisecond to capture her peaceful image. He leaned forward only a little and their noses touched. In a lightning speed, Inuyasha tilted his head and their lips made contact. But he quickly drew away again, taunting her with the ephemeral feeling of his lips against hers. 

He repeated this lightning kiss for the second time. She waited patiently, surely third time must be the charm. But instead, he changed direction all together and began to trace the outline of her nose and eyes. 

Kagome grew frantic. Her lips felt cold without Inuyasha's reassurance. She wasn't going to let him go without a fight.

After the soft peck on the tip of her nose, Kagome took the chance and raised her head up. She knew that his lips must be there, her instincts can't be wrong. 

The hanyou noted the pressing flesh against his with a hidden smirk. The taunting had come to an end. Enough was enough. He pressed forward when he was sure that she wouldn't shift away.

At first she couldn't be sure what it was, this thrilling feeling, this tingling sensation that promised to tear her heart apart if it stopped. Love, some say, is merely a trick of humans' bodily hormones, a biological urge driven by desires. But who cares what _they_ say? _They_ obviously have never been kissed by Inuyasha.

Kagome's already weakened heart began to beat at a volume that threatened to break the sound barrier. Gallons of blood surged through her veins, but she still felt weaker than ever. A moan almost escaped her throat, though somehow she managed to hold it back.  

Her mind was barely clear enough to feel a small but intense pain as he gently nibbled on her upper lip. His hidden sharp fangs dug into her flesh, nearly drawing blood. But the pain was welcomed. He continued to suck on those cherry red lips, caressing each spot ten times over before moving on to the next. Kagome willed herself to remain still. But all control was lost as Inuyasha's tongue gently glided over her lower lip. 

In a huff, Kagome surprised both of them by responding passionately. Inuyasha hesitated for only a second before taking charge once again. As he held her body tightly to his own, he licked her flesh once more and demanded entrance. Kagome opened her mouth with no signs of doubtfulness.

Kagome has never allowed herself to wonder what it'd be like to be so close to Inuyasha. The fear of the uncertain future was enough to block any and every fantasy. The first time they kissed, it was soft, gentle, and sweet. But this new feeling was unlike anything she has ever felt. If he asked her, then and there, to be his forever, there would be no hesitancy on her part.

The kiss ended abruptly. Both of them were too focused that they forgot to breathe. As they panted for breath in each other's arms, there was no doubt about their feelings for one another. Neither Kikyo nor Naraku can destroy that emotion. 

That was the silent promise they made to themselves that tranquil spring morning.

^_~

The subject of returning to the Sengoku Jidai was put aside as the four friends entered the school wordlessly. The kiss earlier left Kagome and Inuyasha heated and embarrassed. Inuyasha assured her that their friends stayed in Souta's bedroom the whole time, but Kagome still couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched.

The group reached a silent agreement to stay for only a few more days, just to make sure that none of Toji's gang bothered Kagome again. But even Kagome realized that it was crucial for them to return to the world 500 years ago. 

The day went on as usual, but the school was fussing over the sudden absence of the Mikagi siblings and several of Toji's infamous "friends". Rumors spread around like forest fire through the hallways and classrooms. Only Inuyasha's companions and Yamaguchi knew the truth. But none of them were going to correct any of the rumors. 

After school was probably the worst. Despite Toji's disappearance, they were still required to show up for rehearsal. Chie sensei was half an hour late. More than fifty students sat lazily in the great hall and waited for her arrival.

Chie sensei entered the stage through the backdoor with a lost expression on her normally cheerful features. Though her movements were quiet and unnoticeable, everyone quieted down at her appearance. Once she reached the front of the stage, she cleared her throat a few times and pasted on an obviously fake smile.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" Not to her surprise, no one bothered to respond. It was impolite to ignore a teacher in such manners, but even Chie sensei didn't seem to care about etiquette at the moment. "Ah, I have a disappointing announcement to make. Mikagi-san left this morning on an early Golden Week trip with his family. So he will not be participating in the upcoming production. Because we have so little time to prepare for a replacement, I'm sorry to tell you that our play is now permanently canceled."

Chie sensei paused, and she obviously expected the students to start some sort of uproar. Instead, not a sound was heard in the great hall. Disappointment was clear on their faces, but some of them guessed a little near the truth and thought it useless to complain. Others simply didn't care for the outcome. 

"Well then," Chie sensei was about to leave, "let's all go home... be safe!" 

"Um... **excuse me!!!**" 

A new voice, one that most of the students have never heard before rang through the large auditorium like clear thunder. All fifty heads turned toward the entrance and noted a tall boy leaning against the wall. 

Kagome's gasp was almost audible: "**RYUU!!**"

"Young man, can I help you?" Chie sensei's earlier uneasiness and hesitancy disappeared and she once again assumed the role of an honorary teacher. The boy was wearing the uniform of another school, and this got him several dangerous glares from the third years. Their message was clear: we don't want outsiders here. Others, however, merely stared at this intruder, and a few girls sighed at the sight of another potential idol. 

But four pairs of eyes were too busy gawking at him to make any comments. 

"Hi, my name is Mukashi Ryuu, I'm here to speak with a Chie Reiko sensei." Ryuu spoke clearly and confidently. His eyes only shifted to Inuyasha's direction once, and it was all too noticeable to the older hanyou how he was doing his best to hold back a smirk. 

"I am Chie. Mukashi..."

"Ryuu, Mukashi Ryuu, pleased to meet you. My cousin asked me to come here personally. It seems that you've ran into a trouble, is there way I can help?" Ryuu grinned. But it was obvious that he was enjoying the look on his uncle's face, so the grin evolved into a rather evil smirk.

"Your cousin..."

"I actually came because my cousin has personally picked out this school to fund. He then sent me here to find out a little about the school before he signs the check. But as I was entering the front gate, I overheard some girls talking about a play 'Chie sensei' was going to put on, and how disappointing it would be if 'Toji-kun' didn't return in time." Ryuu's smirk widened. "I've always loved live performances, it's in the blood. Mind if I participate, I have an excellent memory. It won't be hard for me to memorize lines."

Chie sensei continued to gaze at the boy as if he was a demon. Kagome got nervous at one point and wondered if she's seen through Ryuu's magic shield. His dog ears were gone, two very normal looking human ears protruded the sides of his head. His silvery locks were transformed into spiky black strands. And his fangs, claws, and those unmistakable golden eyes were also replaced by more human traits. But like his father and uncle, Ryuu looked handsome no matter which form he was in.

After a long minute, the teacher finally managed to ask: "and your cousin is..."

"Mukashi Shinichi***, you've must've heard of him." 

There was no mistake in the number of gasps that echoed in the auditorium. Sesshomaru, alias Mukashi Shinichi, _was_ the world's richest man, after all.     

Ryuu took Chie's shocked silence as acceptance, not that he would've let her have it any other way. "Okay then, that's settled. Give me a script and I'll have it memorized by tomorrow."

^_^

The great hall was emptied in ten minutes. Rehearsal was delayed for a day, but at least their production was saved. Ryuu continued to have a private chat with Chie sensei about the story. Four pairs of eyes were still gawking at him below the stage. 

'What's _he_ doing here?! What the hell is Sesshomaru up to?! I thought he wanted me to go back as soon as possible!!' Inuyasha thought as a low growl emanated from deep within his vocal cord. His friends were just as shocked as he was, but they were thankful for Ryuu's interference. This guaranteed them at least another week in the present world. 

Finally the talk between the young hanyou and Chie sensei ended, the two of them stepped down from the stage and approached Inuyasha and the rest. Chie sensei was back in her dazed state and went through a swift introduction. Ryuu was to be Toji's replacement. This only made Inuyasha a little bit happier. However, he didn't want his nephew to whisper sweet words of romance to his love anymore than Toji. 

After the introduction, Chie sensei proclaimed a headache and left Ryuu to Kagome and the rest. As she speed-walked toward the exit, Miroku flashed Sango a grin and followed the teacher.

"Where's Miroku-sama going?" Kagome asked Sango. 

"Oh, it's nothing." Sango shot Kagome a mysterious grin. It was clear that she knew what the monk was up to, and made it her business to hide it from Kagome. Kagome didn't probe any further. They had a hanyou relative on their hands and that was more than enough problem for the day.

"Okay, brat, 'fess up, what's Sesshomaru up to?!" Inuyasha didn't waste time to interrogate his charming nephew as soon as he was sure that Chie sensei was out of hearing range.  

Ryuu only smirked back at his uncle. Inuyasha couldn't help but feel annoyed at the fact that his own nephew stole his signature smirk. Well, at least he still had his...

"**Keh**! I'll ask him myself then."

"Dad's still in Kyoto, I'm the only one who came." 

"WHAT?! HE LET HIS SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD SON TRAVEL THIS FAR **ALONE**?!!" Inuyasha shouted on top of his lungs, and Kagome couldn't help but giggle. Even if Ryuu didn't realize it, Inuyasha was very concerned for his safety. He has already taken on the role of an uncle, and believe it or not, Inuyasha was quite responsible when he wanted to be.

"I have like..." Ryuu counted his fingers, "six youkai bodyguards waiting for me outside. And I'm a trained hanyou myself. I can take care of things." Ryuu raised his head arrogantly and smirked yet again. Kagome and Sango both noticed the similarity between uncle and nephew and the two girls burst out in suppressed laughter. 

Inuyasha keh'd yet again. He raised his head as well and was pleased to know that he was two inches taller than the younger hanyou. "As if a puppy like you can handle real danger."

"I..." Ryuu sighed and stopped. "Never mind, I didn't come all this way just to argue with you. And unlike Koinu, I'm not going to give you any respect when my father's not around, Inuyasha." Ryuu's smirk disappeared, and in place of it was the stern face of a young man who faced too much suffering. Strangely enough, it was the exact same face Inuyasha carried when he fought Sesshomaru five hundred years ago. 

Kagome shivered at the sight of the serious Ryuu. It was almost weird to think that he was the same age as her. 

Inuyasha growled menacingly, when Ryuu didn't show any sign of weakness, he walked pass him and shouted back: "Kagome, Sango, we're leaving!!" 

Sango shot Ryuu an apologetic smile and followed Inuyasha out. Kagome was about to do the same but Ryuu held her in place. 

"Ryuu-kun..." 

Seeing her puzzled expression, Ryuu pulled out a small box from his jacket pocket and handed it to Kagome. "This is a present from my father to you. He wanted me to give it to you when you're alone. Inuyasha is not supposed to know about this gift." 

Kagome took the box and opened the lid shakily. Inside it was a piece of carved jade in the shape of a heart; it hung from a thin, red string. The jade had a forest-green color, and the color seemed to have swirled as Kagome's fingers came in contact with it.

"Oh my... this is... I really can't accept this!" 

Ryuu smiled again, this time, less arrogant and definitely less threatening. "You'll have to; it's my father's order. Just think of it as a good luck charm, keep it close to you. And don't forget, _do not_ let Inuyasha see it until the time is right."

Before Kagome could respond, Ryuu was already walking away. "Gotta go, I have a script to memorize. Bye, Kagome..."

Kagome clutched the jade pendent tightly in her hands as Ryuu's figure disappeared through the doors. She felt like he had more to say, but something stopped him.   

^_~

"Chie sensei! Wait!" 

Chie sensei stopped in mid-step as she heard Miroku shout her name. She turned and waited for him to catch up. Before she was going to ask what he wanted, Miroku's own question was already out.

"Chie sensei, why did you do it? Why did you help Toji?"

The woman stood still for quite a while as she registered Miroku's accusation. "Houshi-kun... I don't know what you're..."

Miroku grinned. His smile was as reassuring as ever, but Chie sensei didn't feel the least calm at the moment. 

"Don't try to hide it, sensei, perhaps the others don't see it, but I know what's going on here. And don't worry, Kagome-sama doesn't know, she still looks up to you." 

"Houshi-kun..."

"He threatened you, didn't he? He threatened you just like he threatened Mori sensei to keep Kagome after school. He tried to use Inuyasha's jealousy against him. Even strangers can tell that Inuyasha's brain can't function normally when he's flooded with emotions."

Somewhere in the school yard, the hanyou sneezed. "Someone must be talking about me..." He mumbled to Sango. The youkai exterminator giggled, but said nothing in return.

"Houshi-kun... I... I didn't want to. But he... he threatened to make me lose my job. Teaching is my life; I couldn't let him take that away from me!" Somewhere along the line, Chie sensei's voice got stronger. "I know I was wrong to put my student in danger. And you have no idea how glad I was to know that Toji couldn't come to school for the next two weeks. Kagome is one of my favorite students; I didn't want to put her in danger any more than you would allow it. After all, that's why you're here, isn't it?"

Miroku's smile didn't waver. "Good, it seems like we're on the same turf. No more shields, sensei. As Kagome-sama's friend, I must ask you to consider others before you make a mistake. Your job is not the concern here. Kagome-sama has been hurt more than once, I don't know how you can bear with that on your conscience and smile so genuinely everyday."

"I..."

"Chie sensei," Miroku's smile disappeared, and his voice assumed the tone of absolute authority. "I must ask you to redeem yourself. We'll be gone soon, but Kagome-sama will still remain, and afterwards, I trust you will watch out for her. This will be your job after we're gone. Do you accept this duty?"

The woman was only able to nod slowly at Miroku's command. Something about the man before her gave out a strong wave of power. Despite the age difference, she found herself obeying Miroku's every will. That was when she realized, the man standing in front of her was meant to do great things one day. 

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow then, sensei." 

"Houshi-kun..."

Miroku turned back around. "Yes, sensei?"

"Why... why do you call Kagome with a 'sama' as suffix? You're older than her, are you not?" 

Miroku thought about it...

"...Because she's an extraordinary girl." 

Miroku left with a mysterious smile that will forever leave an impression on Chie Reiko's mind.

*^_~*

That was a really bad kissing scene, wasn't it? Ah, shikata ga nai! It can't be helped, I've never been kissed before, so I have no idea what it's like. Gomen ne, minna... *sad face*

** "Wakatta, Inuyasha, daijoubu." – I wrote this part in Japanese because I felt it would sound stronger. It means "I understand, Inuyasha, it's okay." Although "wakatta" is actually in past tense, it makes more sense if it's in present tense in English. 

***Hope you guys still remember Sesshomaru's alias and his son, Ryuu, twin brother of Koinu. 

I finally made a deadline for the fanfiction challenge. It's July 31st. And you guys should read **Wakadori**** Ramen's Silent Echoes,** she's one of the competitors. It's a really nice fic, so go check it out, I command you!!

Until Next Time!!!!!!!!!!!! Review!!!!!!


	18. Pain is Inevitable, Suffering is Optiona...

**Important A/N (You get to hear me bitch):**

Someone gave a review that threatened to take my name off his/her favorite list if I didn't update soon. It wasn't the first review of its kind. I started to crack up after reading it. But like seriously, should I even care? It's not like I'm getting paid for writing this fic. I write because I like writing, I write because I want to share my stories. But I also have school and a life. I'm in my toughest year in high school; homework, tests, and volunteer work alone are enough to suffocate me. And I also want to hang out with my friends. In case some of you forgot, my real name is not MizuCrystal, and surprise, I have a life outside of ff.net.  

I'm not angry at the people who sent me such reviews. I really don't care if one or two readers don't happen to like my update pace very much. I'd certainly be very happy to let someone kidnap me and my laptop and make me write all day instead of going to school. But that is not gonna happen. I still want to go to a good college and have a life, so excuse me for not satisfying you first.

And for the rest, sorry for the long A/N. This chapter was a total of 11 pages, Comic Sans MS, size 10, and 4990 words. This chapter will answer most, if not all your questions. Happy reading!!!

^_~

**Chapter 18: Pain is Inevitable, Suffering is Optional**

"Hurry up, we haven't got all day, ya know!!" 

Inuyasha growled at the command and reluctantly approached the boy in front of him. "Keh" was the only reply he gave to one Yamaguchi Kappei. 

"You should be grateful, Inuyasha-kun, that I'm taking time out of my precious Sunday to teach you how to dribble." Yamaguchi stood at the genkan* of the Higurashi residence with a basketball in hand. He spun it on his index finger like a pro and grinned at Inuyasha smugly. 

It was a warm Sunday morning. The play was scheduled to be a week away and their rehearsals were going rather successfully now that Mikagi Toji was missing from the picture. Chie sensei finally decided to give them a day off. Yamaguchi called Inuyasha the day before and asked him if he wanted to hang out over the weekend. Inuyasha replied hesitantly that he wanted Yamaguchi to teach him out to dribble correctly. The modern boy had almost fainted from laughter after hearing Inuyasha's plead. The hanyou still couldn't figure out what was so funny. 

Miroku and Sango left earlier that morning to buy groceries for Kagome's mother. They were determined to do this by themselves to prove that they were able to survive in the modern era without help for once. Ai, on the other hand, happily gave them the direction to the supermarket. She then wasted no time to drag Shippo and Souta to the park for a relaxing day. Grandpa announced the night before that he had to attend a "secret shrine-master meeting". He was very glad that no one questioned him about this meeting, since it was supposed to be top secret. But the truth was that no one cared.

Inuyasha put on his sneakers slowly. He couldn't help but feel guilty about leaving Kagome at home with just the cat as company. When he promised to hang out with Yamaguchi, he didn't realize that he would be leaving Kagome alone. The girl was rather tired from the constant rehearsals and was still sleeping so he couldn't wake her up and take her with him. It was silly to feel anxious, it wasn't like they would be separated forever, but Inuyasha was still restless. He had left her a note, but felt it wouldn't suffice.

Yamaguchi snapped Inuyasha out of his trance with a well stated question: "Inuyasha-kun, we're going to play basketball, why are you still carrying your boken*? Give it a rest, we already know that you're a Kendo master."

Inuyasha growled at his new friend, but this was the playful growl that he always used on Shippo. "I don't feel comfortable without it. So shut up." It wasn't a complete lie either.

"What's wrong? You're even grumpier than usual this morning."

"Kagome... she's still sleeping, I don't feel right leaving her all by herself." 

As soon as the words escaped his mouth, Inuyasha almost fainted. What in the world made him expose his feelings so casually to this stranger in front of him? He barely knew anything about the boy. Inuyasha berated himself silently, he was really getting soft. 

Yamaguchi would've snickered if it weren't for the serious look on Inuyasha's face. 

"She's a big girl. And I'm sure after the beating you gave him, Mikagi wouldn't be as stupid as coming to your own house looking for trouble."

"It's not _my_ house."

Yamaguchi's face lit up. "Of course, that wasn't what I meant. But you have no idea how jealous some of the guys are at school after hearing that you're not only Higurashi-san's boyfriend, but you're also living with her. This third year in the 5th class almost cried after hearing the news." The boy chuckled. "It was funny as hell."

Inuyasha's head shot up like a sling. "**_WHAT?!_"**

Only then did Yamaguchi realize that he went down the wrong road with this conversation. He scratched his head nervously. It was so much harder to talk when Inuyasha was glaring at you with full animosity in his golden orbs. Yamaguchi stopped spinning the ball and started passing it from one hand to the other purely out of nervousness. 

"Hey, don't kill the messenger. I'm just stating the truth. Higurashi-san is a pretty good looking girl, and it's not like the entire male population of the school is blind. I'm not into younger girls myself, but I can tell you this, when Higurashi-san first arrived at the school, she was rated 9.8 out of 10, the highest score ever given out in the school's history."

"'_Rated'?_ What do you mean?" Inuyasha hissed.

The boy gulped before replying. "It's a stupid tradition. Each year at the beginning of the term, a bunch of third year boys would get together and grade some of the best looking first year girls. And this year, Higurashi-san just so happened to break the record."

Inuyasha's glare didn't waver. "Were _you_ a part of this?"

"No, of course not!" Yamaguchi waved his arms frantically. "It's degrading and stupid. Most of the guys were Toji's men, and they all gave Akiko high grades. But some of the other guys who participated didn't feel the same, so Akiko ended up 0.2 points lower than Higurashi-san. The whole school knows that Akiko has a thing against Higurashi-san, but only the ones that know about the grading understand why."

Inuyasha contemplated for a long time before he asked his next question. It didn't help Yamaguchi's nerves since each of his words sounded like a poisonous arrow. "And what grades did Mikagi Toji give?"

"The bastard gave him own sister a 10, of course. It was purely a biased judgment. And I think Higurashi-san wounded up with a 9.9 from him."

Inuyasha was quiet for a long time. Yamaguchi was afraid that he might have been thinking on a plan to murder Mikagi. Then, unexpectedly, Inuyasha dashed forward, snatched the ball from Yamaguchi's hands and went out the door.

"Oi, Inuyasha-kun, where are you going?"

"To play basketball!! What else?!!?" Inuyasha didn't even look back as he sped off.

"Hey, wait!!" Yamaguchi prayed to kami-sama that his buddies at the court were strong enough to deal with the enraged Inuyasha. It wasn't until he got to the bottom of the shrine steps did he notice that Inuyasha didn't really go anywhere.

The hanyou looked up with a faint tint on his cheeks. "Uh... I don't know where the court is."

The tension disappeared as if it was never there. Yamaguchi laughed heartily and slapped Inuyasha quite hard on the back. "It's this way, idiot!"

Inuyasha growled again at being insulted. But something in Yamaguchi's tone told him that the boy wasn't serious about him being an idiot. He relaxed and followed Yamaguchi toward the opposite direction of the school.

Seven days of relaxation left and counting...

^_~

Kagome rose around noon. The quietness around her was a bit alarming. She dressed and washed up before heading to the kitchen. Her stomach protested vigorously for a meal. 

Kagome set to work and made herself a quick lunch: Instant Ramen. She shook her head sadly as the realization sank in: Inuyasha's habits were rubbing off on her. 

While waiting for the hot water to boil, Kagome went to the living room. She knew for a fact that the boys stayed up late again the night before to watch Western movies and probably left the place a mess. The neat side of her was urging her to clean up the pig sty which used to be her living room. 

So it was quite a shock for her to find that the place was absolutely spotless. She was just about to sit down and enjoy some time to herself when she noticed the note Inuyasha left on the table. 

Kagome grinned as she laid her eyes on the neat handwriting. The graceful scripture of hiragana and the beauty of the kanji suited Inuyasha's looks more than his personality. In fact, Kagome had gasped the first time she saw Inuyasha write. His handwriting was definitely neater than hers. It was no doubt the result of Inuyasha's mother's patient instructions. It made Kagome wonder how differently Inuyasha would've turned out if his mother had lived. 

_Kagome, _

_I'm going to the basketball court with Yamaguchi. You looked fairly tired last night so I didn't want to wake you. I hope you won't be lonely when you finally get up. But I'm sure Miroku and Sango will be back soon. Last I saw, Bouyo was napping in the yard behind the temple. Maybe you can play with him until we come back. _

            _                                                                                                            Inuyasha_

Kagome smiled and reread the message at least five times. The Inuyasha on paper was completely different from the Inuyasha in person. She was sure that she loved Inuyasha for who he was. But it didn't hurt for him to give a nice gesture once in a while. Kagome giggled like a silly school girl at the thought that Inuyasha was afraid that she would be lonely.  

She folded the note neatly and placed it in the pocket of her jean skirt. She then took Inuyasha's advice and went out through the back door in search of the lazy cat. 

"Bouyo, where are you?" Kagome treaded across the grass, the back garden was desperate to be mowed. Kagome pondered for a moment if Bouyo could possibly be sleeping on a tree before she saw his curled up body near the fence. 

"Wake up, you lazy cat, it's time for lunch." 

Kagome bent down and attempted to pick him up. But Bouyo had finally succeeded in outweighing Souta and she was forced to drop him in midair. The fat cat gave a frightened "meow" before his paws landed on the ground and scurried back into the house.

"Stupid, fat cat." Kagome muttered unhappily. She was about to go back in as well before she heard a knock. 

Kagome turned her head slowly. There was a small wooden door so Grandpa could access to the woods behind the temple. The fence was the only thing that separated their temple and the trees. Normally no one used the door. 

Imagine Kagome's shock as she saw Akiko's bruised face behind the fence. 

^_^

Toji woke up with a loud groan. Their butler was just sending in his breakfast/lunch. The old servant made no comments on his injuries from a few days ago and placed the tray by Toji's bed. 

"Where's the old man?" Toji asked without sitting up. His father got into another fit yesterday because several members of the school board disagreed with some of his plans for the future. Like usually, he took out his anger on Akiko. Toji was still quite immobile after the brawl with Inuyasha, and was forced to hear his sister's cries from inside his room. He mentally cursed the walls of his room for not being soundproof. Each scream cut into his heart and promised to shred it to pieces. 

The butler answered monotonously: "The master is out."

Toji grunted. It was code for "He's out bribing as many board members as he can to get them to see his way." 

"Where's my sister?"

Again the monotonous voice answered: "The young miss has been in her room since last night. She has not answered our wake up calls. Her door is locked from the inside."

This gave Toji a jolt. It was normal for their father to lock her in after a beating. But Akiko never held the grudge against herself. She told him once that she would never starve herself or commit suicide; she wouldn't give the old man the satisfaction. And being an early riser and a light sleeper, it was unusual for her to refuse a wake up call, especially if it meant breakfast. 

So that could only mean one thing. 

Toji mentally slapped himself. He pulled the cover over his head, closed his eyes and gulped. 'Be safe... please be safe...' He chanted those words in his head like a damn mantra.

^_~

Never in a million years did Kagome think such a scene would be possible. 

She was in the kitchen, pouring hot water in two instant ramen bowls. Surely this wasn't unusual. She then placed the kettle back on the stove and went back to her seat. Yup, so far, so good. And then she looked up and her eyes met the green eyes of one Mikagi Akiko.

That had given her a headache. 

Finding your worst enemy waiting for you outside your fence was one thing. Finding out that your worst enemy's bruised face outside your fence, pleading for your assistance was another subject all together. Kagome wasn't sure what would happen next. Was Naraku suddenly going to appear and offer Kagome all of the shards in his possession? Or was Kikyo going to announce that she just wants to be friends with Inuyasha and wishes him best of luck with Kagome? 

Akiko stared at the ramen bowl in front of herself wearily. She noticed Kagome's fearful glance at her and sighed. 

"Stop looking at me. Are you trying to imitate a goldfish? Close your mouth, Higurashi." Akiko's voice was as bitter as ever. Kagome's anger set aflame within seconds.

"You could be a little nicer, you know? After all, you're here to ask for _my_ help." 

Akiko flinched. "What makes you think I want your help?"

Kagome frowned at the girl before her. "So then you're not here asking for help. What's wrong with your face then? Is this another desperate attempt at some new fashion? I didn't know you were supposed to put purple eye shadow at the corner of your mouth."

Akiko glared at Kagome, but said nothing. A long moment of silence passed between the two.

Kagome finally sighed. "Since you're here, you might as well talk. We're alone. Just say whatever you came here to say, and then if you're still sure that you're not here asking for help, you can use my phone and hail a taxi home."

Akiko glanced down at her folded hands on her laps. She licked the bruise at the corner of her mouth and swallowed her pride. 

"Higurashi, I know we never... got along, but I... I..." Kagome was sure that she heard Akiko utter "dammit, this is hard", "I... I really... need your help."

Kagome almost laughed at Akiko's predicament. But seeing the number of purple and black bruises on the girl's normally beautiful complexion, she couldn't help but feel bad for her. 

"What kind of help?" Kagome said sincerely. 

Akiko took in a deep breath and blurted out in a rush. "I need your help running away."

Kagome somehow wasn't surprised anymore. She had a feeling that Akiko was facing problems at home the moment she saw her outside the fence. Old injuries mixed with new ones were apparent on the girl's arms. Areas that were usually covered by the uniform were exposed. Kagome had a feeling that Akiko wore short sleeves today purposely to show her what she went through. 

"Having troubles at home?" Kagome still wasn't able to hide the sarcasm in her tone. Just because she felt a little sorry for Akiko didn't mean that she forgave the girl. 

Akiko cringed again. "Look, Higurashi, I know I was a bitch toward you, and I admit, it was pretty immature. But I'm here at your house, already on my knees, asking you for help, so you could at least cut the sarcasm 'till later."

Kagome looked away. She didn't need Akiko's lecture, she was already feeling guilty. "We're both on our knees, this is how Japanese people sit." It was a lame comeback, but it was the only ones she got at the moment.

Akiko looked at Kagome strangely, her green eyes flashed. 

"Fine, whatever. Anyway, I need your help, you're the only hope we've got."

"Who's 'we'?"

Akiko rolled her eyes. "My brother and I, who else?!"

Kagome growled much like Inuyasha. "If you want my help, you could at least be a little nicer! And why exactly, should I help you after all that you've done to me?!"

"Because... because you're a good person."

This answer certainly wasn't what Kagome expected. It took a lot of will power for her to snap out of her astonishment to ask: "If you think that I'm a good person, why do you hate me so much then? Was it because of the rating at the beginning of the school year?"

Now it was Akiko's turn to be surprised. "You _knew_ about the ratings? None of the girls were supposed to know. I only knew because of my brother."

Kagome grinned. "My best friends include Yuka and Emi, how do you expect any gossip to escape them? So that was it, huh? You had your brother threaten me to stay away from Hojo-kun not because you liked him, but because you hated the fact that some stupid boys thought I was better looking than you?" She rolled up her sleeve and shoved the fading marks in front of Akiko's face, the grin disappeared. "So all this was because of your jealousy? Was it worth it?"

Akiko flinched at the sight. Those were injuries that her brother inflicted upon Kagome less than a month ago. What was she supposed to say? How was she going to continue asking Kagome for help? Kagome was right; she was in no position to demand assistance. If anything, she should be begging for forgiveness first. 

"No..." Akiko whispered, "No, that wasn't it. I didn't care that you outranked me. I never cared what other boys thought about me." Akiko's heart began to beat in her ribcage three times the normal speed. This was it; Kagome was going to be the only person outside of their family to know the truth. "I hated you... because Toji thought you..."

"Though me of what?" 

"I hated you because Toji thought that you were beautiful."

Akiko's words came through so calmly, as if she's been reciting those words in her own head for longer than thought possible. Kagome's breath was caught in her throat. Her mouth opened slightly and then closed. 

"Oh" was all she said. 

"'Oh'?" Akiko raised a delicate eyebrow. She would've looked beautiful if it weren't for the ugly black eye. "Does that mean you understand?"

Kagome nodded slowly. "I guess. So you were afraid that I would take your brother away from you... I guess I would've felt somewhat threatened as well if Souta had a girlfriend. I guess all siblings have a sense of possessiveness toward..."

"No, that's not it!!!" Akiko almost jumped up. "Argh, never mind, I'll just tell you. Here..." 

To Kagome's horror and confusion, Akiko squeezed out two green contact lenses from her eyes. She looked up again, and those eyes were clearly blue. 

Kagome gasped. "But... but Japanese people can't have blue eyes!"

"That's why my father's European, I know that for a fact. And I also think my Japanese mother must have had some European blood in her because blue isn't the dominant gene for eye color."

"Then... you're..."

Akiko couldn't help but feel annoyed at Kagome's astounded reaction. She expected the girl to be somewhat shocked, but if Kagome was already having a panic attack, she will probably faint after the rest of her announcement. 

"I'm not a Mikagi. My father ran back to Europe after he got my mother pregnant. The only thing I have of his is an old picture. So I at least know what he looks like. My mother died giving birth to me, none of her relatives wanted me so I was sent to an orphanage. A few months later, I was adopted by Mikagi Chiako and her lover."

"Lover...?"  

Akiko nodded. "Can I eat the ramen now? It's gonna get cold." She didn't wait for an answer since Kagome seemed unable to speak at the moment and treated herself to the steaming noodles. She then continued her story while chewing.

"Mikagi Chiako married Mikagi Jouji because of a pre-arranged marriage by their parents. She was a beautiful woman, and Jouji loved her. But she had someone else. She secretly adopted me two years after giving birth to Toji. And I actually lived with her lover for quite a while. But then Jouji found out. 

"I was around four at the time. I still remember how he barged in one day with some of his friends from the police force and took me away. His reason was that since I was adopted under Chiako's name, he should've been the one keeping me. And in court, he accused Chiako's lover of being dangerous around a child. He framed him by planting false evidence around our house. The court pronounced the man a cocaine smuggler and sent him to twenty years in prison. 

"Chiako never recovered from the shock. Jouji ignored her for the next few months and went about his work. By taking me in, he increased his popularity among parents and members of the school board. He was promoted to Chancellor the next year. Chiako, on the other hand, developed breast cancer and died that same year. Toji was seven, I was five."

Akiko finished her ramen in the next five minutes. Kagome couldn't stop staring at the girl. She had been calm when she told the story, almost as if she wasn't a part of a huge scandal. How did she deal with the pain? 

"I always knew you and Toji both wore contacts, but I never thought..." 

Akiko smiled at that. "Nii-chan wore green contacts as well because he wanted us to have the same eye color, so we could be like real siblings. He could've worn blue contacts but green is his favorite color. And to the people that knew I had blue eyes, like Marusato, he just told them that it was a birth defect.

"Anyhow, at first Jouji kept me to remind Chiako of her lost lover. But after she died, he kept me to remind the world that he was a philanthropist, a politician, an educator, and an even greater father. The truth was, he's been beating me for as long as I lived with him. His plan backfired though. After Chiako's death, I served to be a constant reminder of her, who never loved him. He hated Toji as well, because he protected me. To him, Toji wasn't worth being his son."

Akiko wasn't talking nonchalantly anymore. Her eyes were dull, her mind somewhere else. This was making Kagome even more uncomfortable. 

"It must be nice... to have a brother to protect you, even if you aren't related."

Akiko suddenly looked up, straight into Kagome's eyes. Without warning, a smile spread over her face. Kagome had never seen Akiko smile like that. This wasn't a smirk, it was a genuine smile. It made Kagome wonder how anyone could look so beautiful with so many ugly bruises on her face. 

"Nii-chan has been my everything." Akiko confessed; her voice was soft and blissful. "I remember the first time I was beaten, he cried for me. Ever since then, he never shed a tear. Our house was smaller back then, and our rooms were next to each other. Every time Jouji locked me in my room, nii-chan would sneak through the window to bring me candy. He would always hold me while I cried. And he told me, he told me over and over, that one day, he'll take me away.

"When we were still kids, he would hold me and tell me what our futures would be like. He said that he'll never marry because it was his job to watch over me. But if I got married, he would help me take care of my kids and buy candy for them. And he'll be rich, and he'll own a big house, and we'll all live together far, far away from his father.

"And then we grew up. And still he sneaked over and held me. He didn't bring over candy anymore. Instead, he brought over his kisses. And he told me stories while he kissed me. He told me that when we grow older, he'll get rich, and we'll live together in a nice house far, far away from his father. I asked him if he'll still take care of my kids. And he told me that of course he will, because they'll be his kids as well. And he told me, he told me over and over, that he loved me more than anything in the world, and one day, he'll take me away."

Kagome stared in shock as tears dripped down Akiko's cheek. Realization overwhelmed her mind. Between sobs, Akiko spoke in pieces. But she was determined to tell her story. 

"Slowly Jouji began to beat him as well. I don't think he knows about Toji and me, but he hated his son for protecting me. In our new mansion, he put us on opposite ends of the hallway. Toji couldn't sneak over through the window and hold me anymore. But he would always stay outside the door and wait until I fall asleep. We meet during lunch behind the school building. There's a small space between the Great Hall and the main building that's covered with ivies and trees. That's where he'd hold me and kiss me and let me cry on his shoulders. 

"Toji turned eighteen two months ago. He has his own ID now. But we still have to wait until I'm of legal age in order to escape. We can't report Jouji either; he has too many friends in the police force."

"How... how am I supposed to help?" 

Akiko smiled through her tears. 

"Mukashi Shinichi."

A bell went off in Kagome's head. "How did you know about Se... I mean Mukashi-san."

"Sonoko has to be good for something. She's being spying for me when I'm absent from school because of my injuries. She called and told me how Mukashi Ryuu appeared in our school. And oh yea, she was spying on you guys outside the Great Hall after everyone else left. Apparently Mukashi Ryuu gave you something, so you must be close to him. 

"And besides, the day that your boyfriend injured Toji, we went home and found out that Mukashi Shinichi stopped by earlier and requested to see us. I'm not an idiot; I can put two and two together."

'Sesshomaru went to the Mikagi's house... why didn't Ryuu tell us about it? What's he up to?' Kagome thought hard but couldn't come up with an answer. 

"What then, am I supposed to do?"

Akiko's smile got even wider. She wiped away the tears on her face and flinched as her hands touched her bruises. 

"I need some identification that says that I'm over eighteen. Both Toji and I must have IDs with different names. Toji has been saving up money, so we won't need any help in that department. We've been thinking of running to Okinawa after my graduation. But I can't stand two more years in that house, I'm afraid that I won't survive. I refuse to wait any longer. What's more, Jouji will certainly track us down. So we'll need Mukashi Shinichi's influence to remain hidden. If Jouji catches us after we escape, he'll make sure that I won't have legs to run anymore."

The grimness of the situation was slowly setting in. Kagome stared at the girl before her in respect. There she was, making plans for her own freedom. Sure, she needed help, but she was determining her own future. They were the same age, so how come Akiko could be so much stronger? She wasn't confused about her fate at all, she knew the dangers she was in and she knew that she had to fight. 

Kagome had one final question for her.

"What makes you think that after what you did, or attempted to do to me, I wouldn't just laugh at you and refuse you?"

Akiko looked up at Kagome, her eyes unreadable. 

"Because of what Hojo-kun once said to me."

"Hojo-kun..."

Akiko nodded. 

"I was mad at Toji at one point, when he rated you a 9.9, just 0.1 points less than me. So I thought to ask Hojo-kun out to make him jealous. I really hated you after Hojo-kun refused me. That idiot was so hung up on you. But I would never forget the words he said to me. He told me that he likes you not only because of your looks, but because of your undying devotion to friends and strangers alike. Everyone's equal in your eyes. He told me that you are someone who's unable to hate. All in all, he blabbed a lot, and portrayed you like some kind of saint. So Higurashi Kagome, if you are who he said you are, you are probably already thinking of helping me out."

Kagome blushed furiously at the stream of compliments. If she weren't so devoted to Inuyasha, she would go out with Hojo again in a heart beat. 

Finally, she sighed. 

"I'll have to talk and convince Inuyasha. But he won't refuse you either. Se... Mukashi Shinichi is also easy to convince, so don't let that bother you. You should go back. I don't think your 'father' would appreciate finding you not in your room."

Akiko smiled and stood up gracefully. Kagome stood as well, ready to walk her out. The two treaded silently to the back fence. Akiko stopped suddenly. 

"Thank you, Kagome." She turned immediately to give Kagome a brief hug. "I'll remember you forever."

Kagome smiled. "Tell me something, Akiko, how much do you love each other?"

Akiko grinned mysteriously. 

"My eighteenth birthday will be our wedding anniversary."

"Then let me be the first to congratulate you. Best of luck, Akiko."

Akiko left with a wave. 

*******

Nice reading? Still confused? 

I don't know when the next chapter will be up. Here's my schedule:

May 11th: Chemistry AP.

June 5th: Writing SATII, Chemistry SATII. 

End of June: finals, regents, oh the horror. 

Oh, and not to mention all the little tests in between, and the projects, the term papers, the school newspaper, the required volunteer work, celebrating friend's birthdays... 

MizuCrystal out. It's 11:16 p.m., and I have to finish my homework. Adios. (Okay, so I'm still a little pissed.)    


	19. Epilogue

{Sticks out head} Okay, everyone gets a whack at my head. It's my punishment for not updating for more than two months! The good news is (or the bad, depends on how you see it), this story is finally completed!!! In fact, last chapter was the last one, this is just an epilogue (and a long one too).

Whew. A big thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this story. Its success was on a large part, your work. I actually hate this story with all my guts. But it's still my baby, so what can I say.

All in all, this story had lasted for almost a year. And thank you for sticking with it. I'd like to **dedicate** this story to **Majel**, who has been with me through thick and thin, a.k.a., one of my oldest reviewers. And the fact that you've taken a liking to **Lady of the Night** makes me love you even more. {glomps}

Now, without further ado (because we all know how long you've waited for this), please enjoy my very, very, crappy way of tying up loose ends.

**Epilogue:**

Kagome found it incredibly hard to ask Inuyasha this favor. In fact, she even thought about calling Akiko so the girl could do it herself. But that was obviously out of the question.

The task just became harder as Inuyasha practically dashed through the door to hug her after his basketball lesson with Yamaguchi.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry about leaving you here alone? Did Miroku and Sango finally come back? I hope you weren't all alone for the entire day." Inuyasha said it all with one breath and both arms around Kagome's waist.

Kagome had never seen Inuyasha so adorably worried, but she was sure she could get used to the attention. The problem was, Inuyasha's kindness made her upcoming request all the harder to express.

And so Kagome thought it best to start it all with a kiss. Moments later, Inuyasha's defense was down. The puppy turned putty, so to say.

Still, when Kagome finally sat him down and talked him through the situation, the old Inuyasha anger was once again ignited.

"WHAT?!" The hanyou howled. The air around them turned into a rather thick atmosphere, and Kagome began to panic as Inuyasha's growls became fiercer and his purple human eyes began to glow red.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome reached forward immediately and grasped Inuyasha's hand. She thrust the disguised Tessaiga into his hand and took in a deep breath as Inuyasha calmed visibly.

Moments later, Inuyasha began to rant in conscious rage.

"What do you mean you want me to contact Sesshomaru? What's going on, Kagome? Why do you suddenly feel the need to help that bastard and that bitch! So what if their father doesn't like them. If you ask me, they got what they deserved!"

"Inuyasha, please, you have to help them!" Kagome pleaded, her hands never left Inuyasha's. "You should've seen Akiko's face. It was simply inhumane. My father died when I was still young, so I don't remember much about him. But one thing I do know is that a father should _never_ treat his children like that."

"It's still none of your concern, Kagome. If they want to run away, then they can do it themselves. Just because in this twisted reality Sesshomaru happened to be disguised as a rich human doesn't give them the right to use you like this." With a gentle hand, Inuyasha reached over and rolled up Kagome's long sleeve. In doing so, he revealed Kagome's fading scar, the same one that Kagome showed Akiko just hours ago.

"See this?" In an unusually romantic manner, Inuyasha brought the damaged flesh to his lips and kissed the scar. "They hurt you, Kagome. And the beating I gave to Toji was nowhere near enough to avenge you. Their father is only finishing what I started. Let him."

Kagome finally shrank away from Inuyasha's touch. Her eyes were on fire. They shone a strange light of disapproval.

"Don't say that." Kagome whispered. "No one '_deserves_' such treatment. And Inuyasha, they're in _love_. Not to mention the fact that Akiko is actually an orphan. Every thing Akiko told me cries out for help. I _talked_ to her. I _saw_ the physical and mental scars her father inflicted on her. We need to get her and her...'brother' out."

Inuyasha sighed. He closed his eyes and relaxed back into the couch. "I don't understand you sometimes." He whispered through his hand. Without warning, he snatched the hem of Kagome's shirt and pulled her onto his laps. With his eyes closed, he planted soft kissed over her delicate features, finally settled on her waiting lips. With his lips still on hers, he whispered: "You're too kind, Kagome."

Kagome blushed immediately. "So you'll help them?"

The hanyou sighed. "I'll have to talk to Sesshomaru first. I really don't know where to start. But since I have no clue how to find him, we'll have to talk to Kouga first thing Monday. This is so screwed up, ya know. We're going to have to explain to everyone why we're having a sudden change of heart. Shit..."

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha's foul language. For a moment there she actually thought Inuyasha's behavior was rather strange. So his curses actually brought a smile to her face.

"So does that mean you don't hate them anymore?"

Kagome shook her head.

"Can I still hate them?" Inuyasha asked in a childish manner. Kagome answered him with a well-placed kiss.

-----------------

Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and even Kirara stood silently in a single file and stared at Kagome with identical grins on their faces.

Kagome was more than unnerved.

"Um... so are you guys upset?" Kagome inquired while she clutched onto Inuyasha's hand like a lifeline. After all, in the past month, her friends had selflessly put aside their own problems of the past to travel 500 years into the future in order to protect her. But now all a sudden she was asking them to understand exactly why she suddenly wanted to help those people that they were supposed to protect her _from_.

In short, the month they spent here was in vain. They could've used this precious amount of time to hunt down Naraku, Shikon shards, or even save the ancient world from self-destruction. But instead they came here to play baby-sitter for a supposedly powerful miko who couldn't even protect herself from a couple of little humans, the same ones that she was now trying to help out.

Kagome couldn't see what was so funny about this.

Finally, Sango spoke up. She tugged on Miroku's no-longer-wondering hand and said to him: "I win, you owe me dinner."

Shippo checked his Power Ranger watch. He also turned to Miroku. "It's after six o'clock. I win, you owe me ice-scream. I want green tea!"

Miroku's grin finally faded. He glared playfully at Kagome. "Why couldn't you wait another week to announce this? Preferably in the morning?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow. Next to her, Inuyasha was equally confused.

"What... Did you guys somehow knew that the Mikagi's needed our help?"

Sango shook her head vehemently. "No, Kagome-chan, of course not. If we knew that they needed help, we wouldn't have kept it a secret."

"Then why did you bet on this beforehand?"

"Oh, we didn't know who needed help," Miroku answered instead, "we just figured that with Kagome-sama's heroic nature, something like this was bound to come up sooner or later."

Kagome scrunched up her nose, a little angry at this blunt characterization. "Hey, are you saying that I have a hero complex?"

All three shrugged. Just when Kagome was about to rebuttal, Inuyasha reached out a hand to stop the verbal spar.

"Kagome, I'm hungry, can't we eat dinner yet?"

The girl resigned with a sigh. "Don't you think about anything else but your stomach?"

"Yes, I happen to be thinking about what I'm gonna say to Kouga tomorrow. This is going to take a whole lot of explanation."

"Wow, Inuyasha is actually thinking." Miroku exclaimed sarcastically as he made his way toward the dinner table. "What's going to happen next? Could Shippo actually grow?"

This earned him two glares from both ends of the table. Miroku laughed innocently. His chuckles were contagious. Soon enough, they were all making jokes about each other and throwing food around.

Kagome glanced around her in the mist of the chaos. She didn't want this to end, she really didn't. How long would they have to wait until they finally defeat Naraku? How much longer until they can finally sit together and laugh without worry?

She decided to let the troubles go and joined in the small food fight.

---------------

Kouga raised an eyebrow. Then he raised his other eyebrow. With both eyebrow raised, he brought them back down again into a full frown.

"Wha..."

Inuyasha had the urge to smack the wolf-turned-teacher 'till his nose started to bleed.

However, thankfully, the grownup Kouga had a greater ability to adapt to sudden changes in his surroundings, a skill that was trained and perfected through years of war and struggle.

He quickly scanned his attendance sheet. "So that's why Toji has been missing from school. And you say the chancellor has been abusing his children."

Inuyasha nodded solemnly. "At least that's what Kagome's telling me. Akiko came by, and she looked pretty beaten up. You know Kagome, she's just too damn kindhearted for her own good sometimes."

The two men stood side by side for a long time, each lost in his own thoughts while the rest of the class went on with its busy activities. The theme of today's gym class: Dodgeball, a.k.a., total chaos.

"I came to you because I don't know how to contact Sesshomaru, he didn't leave me a number or anything." Inuyasha said after the dragged out silence.

Kouga sighed. "I'll call him tonight, although I have a feeling what he's going to say about this."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow to copy Kouga's earlier reaction. "Do you think he'll refuse?"

The older youkai shook his head. "Of course he will refuse, there's nothing Sesshomaru can do to help you."

"What?! But isn't he like the richest guy in the world, secret partner with the government, and shit?"

"Oh, nice title you gave him." Kouga rolled his eyes. "I'm not talking about that. I gather that you've already forgotten the 'secret' conversation the two of you had? Don't you remember, the modern Sesshomaru is a fluke, he shouldn't even be who he is. He's only the richest man on earth because of Sango and Miroku left the past for too long. And moreover, you're not supposed to stay here for an entire month either."

"What's your point?"

"My point is, Inuyasha, Mikagi Toji and Akiko were this way _before_ your gang arrived. So that means if _Sesshomaru_ intervenes right now, it will have no effect once you return to the past. Kagome will still suffer, and so will the Mikagi's. Because without you here, there would've been no development on their part.

"The whole reason why Akiko sought out Kagome to help her and her brother is because you interfered and that Sesshomaru is a convenience. Once you go back, nothing would've changed. So, the only way for everyone to be happy is for you, Sango, Miroku, and that damn little Shippo to go back, and leave the rest in Kagome's hands."

Inuyasha was not happy with the piece of information. In fact, the idea of leaving Kagome here alone to deal with this whole problem was simply ludicrous. As the ever over-protective boyfriend, he wasn't going to hear this.

"No fking way, wolf!" Inuyasha howled so loud that Kouga was instantly afraid that the rest of his class would hear him. "That Toji bastard would shred Kagome to pieces once everything goes back to the way it was. Are you saying that for the past month, we've done absolutely nothing to help Kagome?!"

Kouga put up two hands in protest. He ran an eye over the field and dragged Inuyasha to somewhere more discrete.

"No, I'm definitely not saying that. In fact, if you hadn't come here and Sesshomaru hadn't become the richest man on earth, Akiko would've hid this from the world until she and her brother found their own means of escape, and that would be far more dangerous. Now that Akiko came out to Kagome, at least we know a way to help them."

"'We'?"

"Yes, Inuyasha, in case you've already forgotten, _I_ was already here before the present got altered. And once you go back, I'll _still_ be teaching in this school, nothing would've changed about me. In fact, if we're lucky enough, I'll even have some memory of this conversation since time is moving in the present as well. So Kagome won't be alone when she deals with this." Kouga placed one hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Trust me, Inuyasha, we may have had our differences in the past, but you can't deny the fact that I did love Kagome dearly. I'll help her to the best of my extent."

Inuyasha looked skeptical. "Do you have a plan?"

"Not as of now, but I do have connections in both the board of education and the government itself. And right now, I need to dismiss class. We all have our duties, Inuyasha, just remember that I will _not_ hesitate to put down all of my duties to protect Kagome. I owe her that much."

"Are you still hung up on her?"

"NO!!" Kouga hit Inuyasha harshly on the head, knowing that it wouldn't hurt him. "I'm married!!"

-------------

"Can't we stay until the summer?!"

"No."

"Can't I at least bring back some ice-cream?"

"No, Shippo-chan, they'll melt."

"Can't I bring Souta with me?"

"Oh for Kami's sake!" Inuyasha howled and promptly threw Shippo over the side of the well. The little kitsune let loose an ear-splitting yell before the familiar pink light engulfed him.

"Hmm," Ryuu commented as he peeked over the Bone Eater's Well. "Gone, just like that. How convenient."

"Well, it's our turn." Miroku grabbed Sango's hand and made his way toward the well. He stopped only to shake Sesshomaru and Rin's hand. He and Sango had already changed back into their old attire. Kagome's family stood outside since the well house could not fit all the spectators, they had said their goodbyes earlier. Sesshomaru, Rin, their youngest children, and Kouga, all came to bid them goodbye.

"Watcha got there, Houshi?" Sesshomaru asked. For on Miroku's right shoulder, he was carrying a full garbage bag.

Miroku had the audacity to grin. "Oh, just some love letters from my modern admirers. Call it a little souvenir, if you will. And also, when Inuyasha and I bid goodbye to the school yesterday, we got a whole other bunch as well. Only this one over here," he gestured to a grunting hanyou, "doesn't appreciate these young maiden's hearts enough to bring them back home."

Everyone giggled, excluding a blue Sango who was itching to hit Miroku with her long ignored Hiraikotsu.

"It's been fun." Sango smiled at everyone while Kirara mewed in her arms. "I know we can't come back again, but there's no way in the world I'll ever forget this trip."

Unable to control herself, Rin flung herself forward and capture Sango in a rib-crushing hug. Sesshomaru was very tempted to turn to Kouga and say "women". But he held his tongue.

Soon, Sango, Kirara, and Miroku disappeared as well.

"No goodbye hug, brother?" Sesshomaru taunted as Inuyasha made his way toward the mouth of the dried up well. Inuyasha was once again back to his hanyou appearances, and he never felt better. He put one hand on the Tessaiga, and use the other clawed hand to flip Sesshomaru the bird. With a last "take care of Kagome" directed at Kouga, he jumped back to the past as well.

Finally, it was Kagome's turn. Already, in front of her, Sesshomaru and his family were disappearing.

"Uh oh," Kouga said, "my memories are getting a bit fuzzy."

Rin ignored her now transparent flesh. She stalked forward carefully and hugged Kagome. "This means we no longer exist. Or rather, a different version of us is taking over."

"Yea, hopefully, our family is retiring in a country villa somewhere in Italy." Ryuu cut in.

"No, France, I like France better." Koinu exclaimed while she poked a finger through her brother's stomach.

"Kagome, it was nice working with you. Although the rest of the school won't remember the play we put on after all this, I hope you'll never forget me. Oh," Ryuu seemed to have remembered something. "Do you still have that jade pendent I gave you?"

She nodded. "I still don't know what it's for, though."

Rin answered instead. "It's a family heirloom, given to the brides of the Inu family's princes on the day that they mate, or wed. Sesshomaru also placed a special spell on it, it'll help with the blood transfer process to connect you and Inuyasha together."

The miko blushed crimson. "I, er... I'm only sixteen."

"It's for the future." To Kagome's half horror and half astonishment, Sesshomaru actually winked at her.

As if that wasn't enough, a transparent Koinu bounced up to her and said in a tone far too cheery for someone who was about to disappear: "and don't worry about Kikyo, Kagome, that half-dead corpse doesn't hold a candle to you!"

Before Kagome was able to say anything, the four specters disappeared fully. Rin's lingering scent still floated around her. Even though she knew that they weren't dead, Kagome still felt a sense of dread in her. A pair of tears made their way down without warning.

Kouga was the only one left.

"You better go, Kagome, they're still waiting for you to take off those rosaries, and you shouldn't leave that shard in Shippo's forehead for too long."

Kagome nodded fervently.

"Take comfort in knowing that I will still be here when you return from the past." Kouga clutched his head. "Though I do have a killer headache, I think my memories are jumbled. I'll be waiting for you in your kitchen, begging your mom for an aspirin. Don't take too long. Owwie."

Kagome watched as Kouga disappeared into her house. For the first time in a month, she was finally going back to the Sengoku Jidai.

She jumped in without hesitancy.

------------------

Kagome returned to the present within half an hour, she really didn't want to leave Kouga alone with her family. It wasn't that she feared that her Grandfather would pull something, she was actually more worried that Kouga the biology teacher might reveal to her mother how badly she was doing in school.

With that thought in mind, the raven-haired girl made a dash for her kitchen.

Kouga knelt beside the kitchen table holding an ice-pack to his head. Souta and his grandfather had disappeared. As soon as Kagome entered, she took over the job of cleaning the dishes so that her mother left her alone with Kouga. Before Ai exited, Kagome asked her:

"Mama, tell me, who's the richest man in the world?"

Ai shot her daughter a weird look. "Um... Bill Gates?"

"Yes!" Kagome hugged her mother. All was well with the world again.

After her mother finally went outside, Kagome turned her attention to the youkai.

"Kouga, how much do you remember?"

The youkai didn't even want to look at her. "Well, I'm utterly confused why you're still alive after 500 hundred years and why that you know my real identity. Besides that, I seem to have two memories of my past which conflicts with each other. But something in the back of my head tells me that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru have something to do with all this."

"Anything else?"

"Oh yes, I have an odd hatred toward Chancellor Mikagi all of a sudden."

Kagome gave a guilty shrug. "Sorry."

"_You_ did this to me?"

"We'll never mess with time again."

Still quite confused, Kouga didn't seem to know what to say besides "good girl".

"So..." the girl tapped the table nervously. "Ko... Tomoeda-sensei, can you help me with something?"

"Can I lie down first? My head is killing me!" He didn't wait for an answer before you plopped down on the tatami.

"Umm... sensei, maybe you should go home, and we'll talk about this tomorrow when you feel better."

"No, no, I'm good." Kouga grumbled as he groaned loudly. "Besides, I really need to know why I know that Chancellor Mikagi not only physically abuses his children, but also dealt in a very incriminating scandal some time twelve years ago?"

"You remember!" No need to say, Kagome was delighted.

"Bits and pieces." He pressed the ice-pack to his head. "Why is it that you don't have aspirin in your house?"

Kagome ignored him completely. "So can you help?!"

"It's going to be hard to turn this case against him, I mean, it _has_ been twelve years. We'll need some _really_ convincing evidence."

"But it happened so long ago, there can't be any evidence left."

"There's always evidence. I think, Kagome, it's better if you have a nice and long chat with his kids. They might have something."

"I don't think Akiko will even remember telling me about her problems."

"I know, but if they're as desperate as she said, she'll accept your help no matter what. You'll just have to throw their misfortune at them, convince them that you know what happened, and they, in the end, will be more than happy to accept your help."

Kagome stared at the whining adult on her kitchen floor.

How did she get herself into these messes?

--------------

The miko treaded across the school ground carefully. With Sango and the guys gone, her lunch time seemed rather empty. Yuka and the others just couldn't keep her attention long enough. Oddly though, a couple of girls were actually able to remember bits and pieces about Inuyasha and Miroku. Kagome didn't know whether to cry or to laugh.

Kagome circled around the Great Hall until she reached the side that was semi-connected to the main school building. Akiko had let it slip during their conversation that she and Toji usually met there during their free time. The space was covered with ivies.

And surely enough, Kagome found them there. Toji was still covered in bruises, but Kagome doubt he remembered who gave those to him. However, it was rather embarrassing to find the two teens in lip-lock.

"Oh, sorry!" Kagome mumbled but didn't back away. This was more important than a make out session.

Just as she thought, Akiko didn't remember that in another reality she had told Kagome the truth about their relationship.

"Oh Kami!" Akiko screamed when she realized that they were discovered and hid behind her "brother" immediately.

Toji was panicking too, but in a more composed way. "Higurashi," the effect of his sneer was lost through his swollen lip, "forget you saw us, and we won't trouble you again. Do you want money? We'll compensate you. Just, just don't tell anyone. We have our reasons. We're not really..."

"I know you're not really brother and sister!" Kagome was slightly appalled that Toji thought she was going to blackmail them. "Listen to me, because I want to finish this with the two of you as soon as possible. I know everything about your past, don't ask me how, let's just say that I'm psychic.

"Now, I know the two of you want to run away from home, but are afraid that your father will catch up with you. I can help. We can't hide you from your father, so we thought it'd better to reveal to the world who your father really is, once and for all.

"I also know that your father framed your mother's lover twelve years ago with some illegal substances. If you can pull out any evidence of that, we can put your father down... and you'll be free...both of you."

The two stared at Kagome, mouths agape. Their green eyes glinted bewilderedly in the shades of the ivies. The miko couldn't help but take satisfaction in their astonishment.

"What..."

"How..."

"Why..."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Like I said, I'm psychic. Now, do you have an incriminating evidence or not?"

"Higurashi... why are you doing this?" The sister asked. Kagome was pleased to see that this Akiko didn't seem to have suffered from any recent beatings.

She shrugged in response. "Because I'm a nice person." When the two were still too surprised to reply, Kagome finally reached her ultimate "bossy" mode.

"Well, come on! What are you waiting for?! We need to get to work. Don't you want to be freed of your father as soon as possible? Work with me, people!"

Toji gulped. "The case..." he was barely able to find his voice at the moment, "it umm... it happened too long ago. I don't think my father left any evidence that would be enough to incriminate him."

Kagome sighed. "That's what I was afraid of..."

Akiko tugged on Toji's sleeve and whispered something in his ear. Toji's head shot up immediately, hope glimmered in those eyes of his.

"How about bribery? My father keeps all records of the amount of bribes he took in his safe, along with the names of the people he accepted the money from."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Why would anyone keep something like that?"

"The whole point of bribery is so that someone could get what they want through money and not skill. Father keeps track of their names so that he can 'repay' them in the future. He also crosses out the names once he helped them. I've seen him at it many times."

Kagome clapped her hands together as if to say "eureka". "That's perfect! Bribery, it'll hit him much harder! Can you get this record book?"

Toji shot her a smirk that Kagome had got all too used to in the past two months. A verbal reply was not even needed.

Akiko finally found the courage to speak up. "Higurashi, I don't know how your 'psychic powers' found all this out, but... we're really grateful. But the thing is, it's going to take more than three teenagers, two not even of age yet, to reveal this scandal."

Kagome winked. "Leave that up to me, or, a friend of mine. Okay, Toji-kun, let's meet back here tomorrow at the same time. Make a copy of the book and return the original to your father's safe as soon as possible. It's crucial that he doesn't know it's missing before we put our final plan into actions."

Just as Kagome turned to leave, Toji held her back with a gentle hand. "Wait, Higurashi... really, why are you doing this for us... after all that we've done to you?"

"... I guess you can say that I have a hero complex."

--------------------

_Dear Kagome,_

_ I must say, life without that tyrant is wonderful. Although now that he's in jail, I have to live with that God-forsaken Satan's Wife. Something about how she's our closest relative. Really, I can't sleep pass __seven a.m__ on weekends, it's ridiculous. Toji, however, is now free in his own apartment. But once I turn 18, I am so out of here. _

_ A thousand thanks to you and your mysterious friends (I somehow have a feeling that more than one of your friends helped us). You really are an odd one. But Hojo-kun was right, you're special and beautiful, not just on the outside. I hope you and Hojo-kun get together one day; you deserve to be happy as well._

_ An all girls private school isn't so bad. And no, I don't wear so much makeup anymore, it's not allowed here. I hope to see you sometimes. But then again, __Tokyo__ is a big city. _

_ By the way, Toji and I are getting married once I turn 18 (you're invited, of course). It'll be weird, I'm really going to become a Mikagi now. Somehow, I just can't escape from this family. After we settle down and earn enough money, Toji promised to take me overseas to search for my birth father. I found the orphanage that I used to live in, they should have some information. A name and a description are good enough. I'm not asking for more, Kami-sama has given me so much already._

_ Hmm, it's already time for dinner. I'm so out of it these days, I swear I started this letter at __three p.m.__ Strange isn't it? _

_ How's school for you? Anyone bullying you? Now that all my brother's old gang members graduated, there's no one left to protect you. But if you ever need a bodyguard, call us, we still have some lingering connections._

_ Sayonara, and write back please. _

_ - Don't Wander into Dark Alleys,_

_ Akiko_

"Hey, Inuyasha, do you want to come to Akiko and Toji's wedding with me?" Kagome shoved the letter in front of the hanyou's half asleep face. The group was back together again inside of Kaede's hut. Miroku and Sango were helping Kaede with the dinner while Shippo and Kirara bounced on Inuyasha's stomach.

"Get off." Inuyasha finally shoved off the two youkai. He snatched the letter from Kagome's hand and read it while grumbling about his empty stomach.

"Oi, Kagome," His face was suddenly no longer sleepy, "what did this bitch mean when she said that 'I hope you and Hojo-kun get together one day'? Who the hell is this Hojo guy?! Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Could it be that Kagome-sama is practicing bigamy? Very admirable."

Sango hit the monk on the head with a bowl. "You're not help things, pervert."

Miroku grabbedher wrist to prevent further injuries. A silvery bracelet glinted as it hung loosely from Sango's flesh.

Kagome ignore the monk. "It's nothing, Inuyasha, don't tell me that you're jealous?!"

"Jealous?! Ha! As if I could be jealous of some human?"

To his surprise, Kagome didn't argue with him. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a very reassuring hug.

Before Inuyasha could respond, however, she drew away.

"Let's eat!!!"

=====================================================================

Owari.

Yup, folks, that was it. Big disappointment, wasn't it?! I just couldn't find any point in continuing. The mystery was solves, the conflict was gone. The plot was basically over by chapter 18. And so, with this epilogue, I bid you good bye.

If you don't mind, go check out my new story, **Lady of the Night**, it's far more sophisticated than this "high school fic". I'm quite proud of it.

For those who emailed me about the **fanfiction**** contest**, please show me proof that you've actually done something in the time allotted. I'm extending the deadline by a month. It's not much, but please, finish those fics and send them to me.


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